So what was the verdict of first day of pre-school?
Arriving at 12:01pm exactly there was only one other child still there besides Leah & Sydney, which I found suprising. Some parents must pick up their kids early.
Leah took one look at me and said "I don't want to go home!" and went back to pushing her doll in the stroller.
The teacher's assistant, Ashleigh said "That's a good sign! But I'm sure Sydney is definately ready to go-- she had a few....moments."
I looked over at Sydney happily making a tower, one of her favorite activities. She seemed fine to me!
Ashleigh continued and said that Leah went to the potty two times, and they changed Sydney's diaper once and that they went outside to play but it was quite hot.
So I gathered up their stuff and they said a chipper good-bye to the teachers and took off. On the way to the car Sydney said "Thomas no share the toys. I no like him." I suppose that's what the "moments" might have been all about. We all went to Chik-fil-A (I love e'm even if they are closed on Sundays) and we all had a nice lunch and they told me what they did as best they could.
It does make me wonder, if the teacher hadn't had Leah there to compare to Sydney's overall behavior, would the report have been different? I hope not. It's inevitable that they'll be compared. I just have to learn to take it with a grain of salt and try to listen for any obvious comparisons that might not be appropraite.
FYI, I'm wiped from the first eight-hour day (in the OFFICE that is) I've had in some time. With a new-business presentation taking up the first 3 hours or so, two client calls in the afternoon and all the other usual stuff thrown in too. I need to recharge! Good thing Labor Day weekend is coming up. No plans-- just the way I like it.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
And They're Off!
Leah woke up very chipper at 5am saying she had to go potty. Thankfully, she went back to bed for a few hours.
I woke up about 15 minutes before they did and at 7:30 Leah came in and gave me a big hug. She said "we go to school NOW?" and I said YES! Sydney also woke up excited but slightly confused thinking today might be the first day of ballet. Once she realized it was pre-school she said that she wanted to put on a puppet show for all her friends and also to play on the swings.
They both were super cooperative in getting dressed in their new skirts/shirts/shoes and were preening in the mirror. I manged to take a few "old-fashioned" pics on our camera and hopefully scott got a few @ the school too.
I left at 8am and Scott was giving them breakfast. So by now they should be in the classsroom-- EEK!
I have to scoot out early at 11:30 to get them by noon. Can't wait to hear the full report!
I woke up about 15 minutes before they did and at 7:30 Leah came in and gave me a big hug. She said "we go to school NOW?" and I said YES! Sydney also woke up excited but slightly confused thinking today might be the first day of ballet. Once she realized it was pre-school she said that she wanted to put on a puppet show for all her friends and also to play on the swings.
They both were super cooperative in getting dressed in their new skirts/shirts/shoes and were preening in the mirror. I manged to take a few "old-fashioned" pics on our camera and hopefully scott got a few @ the school too.
I left at 8am and Scott was giving them breakfast. So by now they should be in the classsroom-- EEK!
I have to scoot out early at 11:30 to get them by noon. Can't wait to hear the full report!
Monday, August 28, 2006
As I predicted....
Although today was NOT the first day of school, they did go for a visit. And as I anticipated, I cried. I was FINE at first. Then they all went outside. Just seeing them try to "find their place" in the playground dynamics was overwhelming to me. It's not like they were excluded, or sad, or anything. It was all my own reaction of anxiety about what COULD happen.
In fact the only time they got upset is when we LEFT and they found out they had to go in the Ford with their "old" car seats, not the Honda with their "big kid" seat belt boosters. Whatev!
Overall it was great. They saw the other kids-- interacted well. Leah told the teacher she needed to go potty and did it, with my assistance. Heck, even Sydney requested a pull-up today when we got dressed (shocking!).
More girls than boys in the class and they are not the oldest, there are 3 other kids older than them which is good in terms of size and potty training, language, etc.
And two Leah's-- Leah S. and Leah J-R. Which will be confusing at first but they'll figure it out.
The teachers are great, but they are trying so hard to get me to pigeonhole the girls personality types, etc. I told them I will not be dressing them in certain colors to "clue" them in... and the question of "who's older" is just stupid. I mean, Sydney was first to the exit. That has NOTHING to do with her personality! I just don't want to give them any bias. Let them develop as it happens.
Oh, and if you notice a LACK of photos it's because our digital camera got fried on the 4th of July and haven't had an opportunity to plunk out the cash for a new one. I may just have to use FILM tomorrow to capture the first day of school!
In fact the only time they got upset is when we LEFT and they found out they had to go in the Ford with their "old" car seats, not the Honda with their "big kid" seat belt boosters. Whatev!
Overall it was great. They saw the other kids-- interacted well. Leah told the teacher she needed to go potty and did it, with my assistance. Heck, even Sydney requested a pull-up today when we got dressed (shocking!).
More girls than boys in the class and they are not the oldest, there are 3 other kids older than them which is good in terms of size and potty training, language, etc.
And two Leah's-- Leah S. and Leah J-R. Which will be confusing at first but they'll figure it out.
The teachers are great, but they are trying so hard to get me to pigeonhole the girls personality types, etc. I told them I will not be dressing them in certain colors to "clue" them in... and the question of "who's older" is just stupid. I mean, Sydney was first to the exit. That has NOTHING to do with her personality! I just don't want to give them any bias. Let them develop as it happens.
Oh, and if you notice a LACK of photos it's because our digital camera got fried on the 4th of July and haven't had an opportunity to plunk out the cash for a new one. I may just have to use FILM tomorrow to capture the first day of school!
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Time to Make the Play Dough
Ok, so I just got back from the parents meeting at St. Andrews Preschool. The girls will be attending there 2 mornings a week starting next week.
Tonight we got to visit the classroom and meet the teachers/assistants. The actual orientation with the kids will be on Monday morning and then Tuesday-- drop off!
The classroom was simply adorable. They are the "Shining Stars" and it looks like a pretty nice mix of kids (based on the parents). Looking at their schedule they will LOVE IT-- with outside play, circle time, creative movement/music, ABC's/123's, etc. Oh, and there is actually time of the schedule for PLAY-DOUGH.
That is Leah & Sydney's idea of heaven. And parents volunteer to make a big double batch-- I'm up in December.
It will be such a great experience for them. I suspect they might be the chattiest kids but I could be wrong. Who knows how they'll react with a large group of kids? Based on Kindermusik (which starts tomorrow) they'll likely NOT be wallflowers.
Tomorrow will be very busy-- we have to pick up the immunization form for school, then go to kindermusik, THEN go to my office for an hour or so, THEN hit the grocery store to prepare for both a party that night and one the next. I have to make one dish for tomorrow's party and then the whole menu, minus dessert, for Saturday. And since we're hosting our dinner at the pool it's gotta be cold dishes along with things we grill to keep it easy. Should be interesting.
Never a dull moment here.
Just for the record, I'm going to cry when they go to school Tuesday. I can feel it. When they talked about how kids sometimes cry the first time they're dropped off, I nearly lost it.
Ok, a kid is hollering and that means I'm on deck.
Tonight we got to visit the classroom and meet the teachers/assistants. The actual orientation with the kids will be on Monday morning and then Tuesday-- drop off!
The classroom was simply adorable. They are the "Shining Stars" and it looks like a pretty nice mix of kids (based on the parents). Looking at their schedule they will LOVE IT-- with outside play, circle time, creative movement/music, ABC's/123's, etc. Oh, and there is actually time of the schedule for PLAY-DOUGH.
That is Leah & Sydney's idea of heaven. And parents volunteer to make a big double batch-- I'm up in December.
It will be such a great experience for them. I suspect they might be the chattiest kids but I could be wrong. Who knows how they'll react with a large group of kids? Based on Kindermusik (which starts tomorrow) they'll likely NOT be wallflowers.
Tomorrow will be very busy-- we have to pick up the immunization form for school, then go to kindermusik, THEN go to my office for an hour or so, THEN hit the grocery store to prepare for both a party that night and one the next. I have to make one dish for tomorrow's party and then the whole menu, minus dessert, for Saturday. And since we're hosting our dinner at the pool it's gotta be cold dishes along with things we grill to keep it easy. Should be interesting.
Never a dull moment here.
Just for the record, I'm going to cry when they go to school Tuesday. I can feel it. When they talked about how kids sometimes cry the first time they're dropped off, I nearly lost it.
Ok, a kid is hollering and that means I'm on deck.
The Schedule
Feeling lazy-- here' s a post I read today on a Working Mother blog that hit close to home
http://www.allbusiness.com/blog/WorkingMothers/11535/006824.html
http://www.allbusiness.com/blog/WorkingMothers/11535/006824.html
Monday, August 21, 2006
Back to Reality
It's Monday a.m. and I'm back at work. Amazing how the world just goes on! We did nothing yesterday but lay around the house and the girls took their 3 hour power nap.
Sydney summed it up best yesterday. She crawled in to my bed around 7:00am and said "I'm still a little sad." I said "Why honey?" And she said "Because vacation is all over."
From the mouths of babes!
Scott comes home tonight-- yay! We all miss him.
Sydney summed it up best yesterday. She crawled in to my bed around 7:00am and said "I'm still a little sad." I said "Why honey?" And she said "Because vacation is all over."
From the mouths of babes!
Scott comes home tonight-- yay! We all miss him.
Friday, August 18, 2006
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Almost Time to Go...
Scott's off to NYC tomorrow morning........ had a great beach day! Just got back from a fabulous meal at Criolla's Restaurant-- a Cuban Carribean style cuisine. Not used to being able to have such fabulous food in an otherwise casual beach town! It's been a joy. Will hate the drive home solo but I'm sure the girls will keep me company. One more day to hang out before we head out Saturday morning.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Life's a Beach
Ok-- I love Florida! Admittedly it's hot. But the water is like the carribean. Blue water, white sands... paradise. Our house is cozy but perfect. Surrounded of course by big beach McMansions. The girls have been having a great time playing in the sand and even playing in the water. They are a bit fickle about the water. It's a love hate relationship.
It's fairly quiet down here as I guess most of the world has gone back to school. That's one of the reasons we got such a deal on this house -- even though it's 95 degrees outside it's considered "fall" by rental companies.
All the planned communities are very nice. We're staying in an authentic 40's bungalow. Definatley not like Seaside or Rosemary Beach. But it's only 5 minutes to either of those destinations and quite honestly-- I'd rather be in this cottage and walk out my door to the beach than waaay back across Highway 30-A just to stay in the asthetically pleasasing, master-planned community surrounded by $2-5 million dollar vacation homes. We've explored WaterColors, Rosemary Beach, Seaside, Seacrest, etc. since you can still visit the shops and restaurants.
I still need to post photos. We've been hesitant to take camera to beach but we'll get some shots on line soon.
Today is mom's birthday-- we'll celebrate tonight at Bud & Alley's-- one of the "older" restaurants around here. Scott and I will go to a grown up restaurant Thursday night I think. And Dad is going on a fishing boat tomorrow so we're hoping for pounds and pounds of Red Snapper. It will be my job to cook it up!
Leah was so tired at lunch today that she literally could not keep her eyes open. Now they're in bed just chatting it up!! Oh well!
It's fairly quiet down here as I guess most of the world has gone back to school. That's one of the reasons we got such a deal on this house -- even though it's 95 degrees outside it's considered "fall" by rental companies.
All the planned communities are very nice. We're staying in an authentic 40's bungalow. Definatley not like Seaside or Rosemary Beach. But it's only 5 minutes to either of those destinations and quite honestly-- I'd rather be in this cottage and walk out my door to the beach than waaay back across Highway 30-A just to stay in the asthetically pleasasing, master-planned community surrounded by $2-5 million dollar vacation homes. We've explored WaterColors, Rosemary Beach, Seaside, Seacrest, etc. since you can still visit the shops and restaurants.
I still need to post photos. We've been hesitant to take camera to beach but we'll get some shots on line soon.
Today is mom's birthday-- we'll celebrate tonight at Bud & Alley's-- one of the "older" restaurants around here. Scott and I will go to a grown up restaurant Thursday night I think. And Dad is going on a fishing boat tomorrow so we're hoping for pounds and pounds of Red Snapper. It will be my job to cook it up!
Leah was so tired at lunch today that she literally could not keep her eyes open. Now they're in bed just chatting it up!! Oh well!
Friday, August 11, 2006
Fight Club
Ok, I just realized like half the names of my posts so far a movies. Not very original.
This is procrastination-- I should be finishing packing for the beach. I ran three hours of errands today ranging from Midtown to Alpharetta and back in the middle again. The girls are thankfully passed out-- that would be their first nap in a week. I think we're down to once a week naps. Perhaps pre-school will change that.
I am at a loss for what to pack for the girls. I know just a few things is enough. And again I am leaving with the mentality that I must bring every food-stuff in the house as if there are no grocery stores on the Panhandle of Florida.
So..... yesterday afternoon was interesting (what I intended to post about). As I may have mentioned Lyle (2o months old) has been coming here two mornings a week during the summer. Lucy and I fondly refer to it as "Camp Lyle." It's worked out pretty well-- it frees up two mornings a week for Lucy until school starts again in the fall. Gives the girls a nice distraction as well. I'm sure it's a lot of work for Barbara as Lyle is an explorer in every sense of the world. My favorite is his t-shirt that says "I do my own stunts." I think that pretty much sums it up!
The first few weeks were a lot of "mine!" battles with the girls, and also major "snack protection"-- Lyle was not allowed to even LOOK at the ladies' snacks. I suppose that's normal. But they found their groove and things have been plugging along except for those days in the past weeks when Barbara wasn't feeling well and we had to do some last minute cancellations.
Anyway-- I came home yesterday and Barbara mentioned that something had happend RIGHT before Lucy walked in. She stated that Sydney hit Lyle and it left a mark on his face. Understandably Lyle was very upset. Sydney apprently did her best remorseful routine "I sorry, I no hit again, I sorry." So after Barbara left I decided to have a talk with Sydney. As soon as I asked her about it she said that "sissy did it." Then next thing I know Leah is in my face confessing to some sort of altercation over a LEGO of all things and that she hit him with her hand.
Now this does not jive at all. Because the mark on Lyle's face seems to be a bit more severe than what they could have done with their bare hand. Unless of course they have some sort of super powers. And Barbara said it was Sydney, and she knows the difference between them by now. And she also said the fight started with Lyle going up on the bed and them wanting him to get down.
By now I'm very confused.
So I asked again. Now Leah says that she "fought Lyle" on the couch. Then she goes on to say something unintelligible and ends it with "and they all lived happily ever after." Apparently all my questions I directed to her about "then what" made her think I was asking her to tell me a story! I mean, I'm proud of their imaginations but in this case I'd really prefer the TRUTH so that we can deal with the behavior.
Lucy and I talked about it. I have to admit I'm mortified that one of theim smacked him to the point of tears. This makes me feel like one of myy girls (since I still don't know who) is no better than that horrid girl Sheila (28 months old) from the pool. Can't go in to details here but Sheila has seriously beat up on Leah & Sydney, including pulling their hair, scratching and hitting any time she does not get what she wants or when she is trying to get attention. I like to think Shelia is somehow socially stunted and has no language skills and has to resort to hitting to get attention.
Obviously I have a much higher opinion of my kids but this is what flashed in to my head when I heard about it. Nobody prepares you for this stuff! How to handle it? I've apologized to Lucy. Lyle's injuries are not severe. I've talked to Leah & Sydney adnauseum about it. They probably think it's a joke by now because I've asked so many questions.
I suppose this isn't much different than a kid who bites, or when the girls smack/shove eachother in frustration. It's not acceptable, but it happens. They know it's wrong but it must be very frustrating at this age to not always be able to articulate, or even be understood when they do try to say what they want. I've seen Sydney raise a hand at me in frustration. I then see the look of "oh I shouldn't do this" and it stops but the thought has crossed her mind.
Well, that's the end of that tale. Hopefully something I won't have to post about again. Time to pack for real.
Perhahps we'll do some beach blogging if our wireless internet card works.
This is procrastination-- I should be finishing packing for the beach. I ran three hours of errands today ranging from Midtown to Alpharetta and back in the middle again. The girls are thankfully passed out-- that would be their first nap in a week. I think we're down to once a week naps. Perhaps pre-school will change that.
I am at a loss for what to pack for the girls. I know just a few things is enough. And again I am leaving with the mentality that I must bring every food-stuff in the house as if there are no grocery stores on the Panhandle of Florida.
So..... yesterday afternoon was interesting (what I intended to post about). As I may have mentioned Lyle (2o months old) has been coming here two mornings a week during the summer. Lucy and I fondly refer to it as "Camp Lyle." It's worked out pretty well-- it frees up two mornings a week for Lucy until school starts again in the fall. Gives the girls a nice distraction as well. I'm sure it's a lot of work for Barbara as Lyle is an explorer in every sense of the world. My favorite is his t-shirt that says "I do my own stunts." I think that pretty much sums it up!
The first few weeks were a lot of "mine!" battles with the girls, and also major "snack protection"-- Lyle was not allowed to even LOOK at the ladies' snacks. I suppose that's normal. But they found their groove and things have been plugging along except for those days in the past weeks when Barbara wasn't feeling well and we had to do some last minute cancellations.
Anyway-- I came home yesterday and Barbara mentioned that something had happend RIGHT before Lucy walked in. She stated that Sydney hit Lyle and it left a mark on his face. Understandably Lyle was very upset. Sydney apprently did her best remorseful routine "I sorry, I no hit again, I sorry." So after Barbara left I decided to have a talk with Sydney. As soon as I asked her about it she said that "sissy did it." Then next thing I know Leah is in my face confessing to some sort of altercation over a LEGO of all things and that she hit him with her hand.
Now this does not jive at all. Because the mark on Lyle's face seems to be a bit more severe than what they could have done with their bare hand. Unless of course they have some sort of super powers. And Barbara said it was Sydney, and she knows the difference between them by now. And she also said the fight started with Lyle going up on the bed and them wanting him to get down.
By now I'm very confused.
So I asked again. Now Leah says that she "fought Lyle" on the couch. Then she goes on to say something unintelligible and ends it with "and they all lived happily ever after." Apparently all my questions I directed to her about "then what" made her think I was asking her to tell me a story! I mean, I'm proud of their imaginations but in this case I'd really prefer the TRUTH so that we can deal with the behavior.
Lucy and I talked about it. I have to admit I'm mortified that one of theim smacked him to the point of tears. This makes me feel like one of myy girls (since I still don't know who) is no better than that horrid girl Sheila (28 months old) from the pool. Can't go in to details here but Sheila has seriously beat up on Leah & Sydney, including pulling their hair, scratching and hitting any time she does not get what she wants or when she is trying to get attention. I like to think Shelia is somehow socially stunted and has no language skills and has to resort to hitting to get attention.
Obviously I have a much higher opinion of my kids but this is what flashed in to my head when I heard about it. Nobody prepares you for this stuff! How to handle it? I've apologized to Lucy. Lyle's injuries are not severe. I've talked to Leah & Sydney adnauseum about it. They probably think it's a joke by now because I've asked so many questions.
I suppose this isn't much different than a kid who bites, or when the girls smack/shove eachother in frustration. It's not acceptable, but it happens. They know it's wrong but it must be very frustrating at this age to not always be able to articulate, or even be understood when they do try to say what they want. I've seen Sydney raise a hand at me in frustration. I then see the look of "oh I shouldn't do this" and it stops but the thought has crossed her mind.
Well, that's the end of that tale. Hopefully something I won't have to post about again. Time to pack for real.
Perhahps we'll do some beach blogging if our wireless internet card works.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
School Daze
Today is the run-off election in Georgia-- this includes a highly contested race for the 4th Congressional district Democratic candidate. I'm not going in to the details here (better to visit James' blog).... but the important part is to remember to VOTE!
My quest to today brought me to Evansdale Elementary school-- the future educational home to Leah & Sydney. We moved to this neighborhood for this school. And to be honest, I took the word of friends, along with some web research on test scores, demographics, etc. that this was THE location to get us the best house in the best school that we could afford without moving to, oh, Tennessee.
Well, of course I didn't leave home early enough to vote AND get to work on time so I was really pressed for time. I slipped in to a parking spot by the front door, ran in and cast my vote. When I left I found that I had been parked-in by a teacher. GRRR! So I ran back in and asked the guy in the office to see if they could make an announcement.
He turned out to be the principal-- and he was so nice! He made the announcement then walked around with me to make sure that the car was moved. We talked a bit about the school and he assured me that as twins, if one gets in to the Pre-K program or magnet program, they BOTH do, automatically. Even though this is 2 years from now, it was reassuring to know that if we make it in that they will both have a spot. He also said we could come visit any time with the girls-- which is something I need to do once school is in session to get a sense of what it's like when everything is up and running.
I can hardly belive that I am even THINKING about putting them in school. We'll be starting slowly, 2 mornings a week of preschool this year, then probably four extended days the next year, and then Pre-K the year after that. I think the first day I walk them in to school I will be crying like a baby! It goes too fast.
Barbara is Back
Monday, August 07, 2006
Be Prepared!
Time to make lists. Lists of what to bring, what to buy, and what needs to get done before we can leave town. We've been traveling with the ladies since they were 3 months old.... at first by car, then by plane, and now back to road trips since they're no longer fly free.
Thankfully, the lists of what to bring are much smaller than they once were when we needed portable cribs, high chairs, bottles, and other baby devices.
I was remembering the other day what it took for us to make a nearly two week journey from Atlanta to Martha's Vineyard when the girls were almost nine months old. I think my preparation started at least a month in advance if not more. You would have thought we were traveling to the most remote parts of the earth considering the amount of supplies I laid in and trucked with us.
Sydney & Leah waiting patiently for the ferry to MV
Our trip involved the 13 hour drive (that includes stops) from Atlanta to D.C., a two day layover for their naming ceremony and then the drive up to the Cape to take the ferry over to the island. We hung out on MV for a week then reversed the trip with an overnite in Connecticut and another night in D.C. Basically four full days of driving over two weeks.
That's our red car waiting to board the ferry
I somehow managed to calculate two weeks worth of diapers, forumla, wipes as well as bottled baby food and snacks. For our road trip days I had individual zip lock bags packed for each of their meals containing disposable bibs, spoons, jars of food, etc. so we could reach in and grab "Breakfast Day One."
I mean, GOD FORBID we had to individually take out a jar of food and a spoon out of the car!
And the bottles, oh, the bottles. I pre-packed a days worth of bottles already filled with water so all we had to do was mix.
Hint for bottle feeders: Cracker Barrel makes a great feeding stop with the rocking chairs on the front porch!
I had pack n' plays in place both in DC at Diane's house (borrowed) and on the Vineyard (rented).
Everything is relative of course-- our friends Pat & Susanne did their big drive to Chicago recently with TRIPLETS. And heck, they have the mini van with built in refrigerated console!
All things considered it was worth the preparation-- the 1200 mile trip was relatively painless and I look back on it now and realize we had it EASY. Having two squirmy, partially potty trained toddlers on the road now is much harder.
But I'll still go ahead and pack all the snacks, toys and other necessary items to get us through our drive and week at the beach-- better safe than sorry!
The Family, August 2004 in Menemsha, MV
Thankfully, the lists of what to bring are much smaller than they once were when we needed portable cribs, high chairs, bottles, and other baby devices.
I was remembering the other day what it took for us to make a nearly two week journey from Atlanta to Martha's Vineyard when the girls were almost nine months old. I think my preparation started at least a month in advance if not more. You would have thought we were traveling to the most remote parts of the earth considering the amount of supplies I laid in and trucked with us.
Sydney & Leah waiting patiently for the ferry to MV
Our trip involved the 13 hour drive (that includes stops) from Atlanta to D.C., a two day layover for their naming ceremony and then the drive up to the Cape to take the ferry over to the island. We hung out on MV for a week then reversed the trip with an overnite in Connecticut and another night in D.C. Basically four full days of driving over two weeks.
That's our red car waiting to board the ferry
I somehow managed to calculate two weeks worth of diapers, forumla, wipes as well as bottled baby food and snacks. For our road trip days I had individual zip lock bags packed for each of their meals containing disposable bibs, spoons, jars of food, etc. so we could reach in and grab "Breakfast Day One."
I mean, GOD FORBID we had to individually take out a jar of food and a spoon out of the car!
And the bottles, oh, the bottles. I pre-packed a days worth of bottles already filled with water so all we had to do was mix.
Hint for bottle feeders: Cracker Barrel makes a great feeding stop with the rocking chairs on the front porch!
I had pack n' plays in place both in DC at Diane's house (borrowed) and on the Vineyard (rented).
Everything is relative of course-- our friends Pat & Susanne did their big drive to Chicago recently with TRIPLETS. And heck, they have the mini van with built in refrigerated console!
All things considered it was worth the preparation-- the 1200 mile trip was relatively painless and I look back on it now and realize we had it EASY. Having two squirmy, partially potty trained toddlers on the road now is much harder.
But I'll still go ahead and pack all the snacks, toys and other necessary items to get us through our drive and week at the beach-- better safe than sorry!
The Family, August 2004 in Menemsha, MV
Thursday, August 03, 2006
She's My Sissy
Tonight at Dinner:
Leah: "My name is Leah, Leah Shankman. You Mommy-- Lauren, Lauren Shankman. She's Sydney, Sydney Elizabeth."
Sydney: "No, you Sissy."
Leah: "No, I Leah-- Leah Shankman!"
Sydney: getting angry "No, YOU SISSY!!!"
Leah: With index finger pointed in wisdom type pose: "Actually...I a GIRL."
That was the end of that argument.
Leah: "My name is Leah, Leah Shankman. You Mommy-- Lauren, Lauren Shankman. She's Sydney, Sydney Elizabeth."
Sydney: "No, you Sissy."
Leah: "No, I Leah-- Leah Shankman!"
Sydney: getting angry "No, YOU SISSY!!!"
Leah: With index finger pointed in wisdom type pose: "Actually...I a GIRL."
That was the end of that argument.
Beach Baby
One week til vacation.... I can barely contain my excitement.
This will be our view from "Beach Baby" in Seagrove, Florida-- on the Emerald Cost (ie: Panhandle).
Best of all, UncleKeith, otherwise known as the BIG TEDDY by the girls will be there. He hasn't seen them since December!
Where is Daddy?
Oh Daddy Shank? Where are you?
I've invited Scott to be a team blogger, since this IS the Shankman Family blog.
Perhaps some public pressure will get him going.
They Might Be Twins...
I think the general assumption with twins is that they are a "unit."
LeahSydney, or SydneyLeah-- that they do everything together and have all the same preferences, wants and needs.
I'd have to say that wasn't true, even from the minute of birth. They were two separate creatures who responded to things differently-- whether it was being held, or how often they ate, or even if they like sitting in a stroller versus being carried in a Bjorn, etc.
And of course developmentally-- it was easy to categorize at one point Leah as the "talker" and Sydney as the "walker." I hesitate to put labels on them since they change so quickly!
Those differences have become even more apparent in this third year of life. I can't begin to point out ever difference but here are just a few for starters.
Leah & Sydney
May 2006
When making PB& J "NO JELLY" for Leah
Sydney must have her "special blanky" to go to sleep
Leah needs "two nuks"
Sydney belives milk must come in a sippy cup, Leah could take it or leave it
Leah is really getting in to potty training
Sydney responds to "you can use the potty" with the stern "I DON'T"
Leah prefers to sing
Sydney prefers to groove
But of course, they are sisters so there are so many games they enjoy together
Baby/momma, crafts, library, school, etc. It's facinating to see who plays what role in each of these games, it's constantly shifting.
Scott and I have both come to realize that one-on-one time is really important for both of them. A lot of acting out/tantrums is often a result of just wanting some attention, even if negative. Sydney really craves these interactions, even more so than Leah it seems and we are trying to make time for both of them to feel "special."
I'll never forget waking up one morning to the argument "My mommy!" "No, MY Mommy!" and it went back and forth until I reassured them I was BOTH their mommies.
Singleton parents just don't know what they're missing ! :)
LeahSydney, or SydneyLeah-- that they do everything together and have all the same preferences, wants and needs.
I'd have to say that wasn't true, even from the minute of birth. They were two separate creatures who responded to things differently-- whether it was being held, or how often they ate, or even if they like sitting in a stroller versus being carried in a Bjorn, etc.
And of course developmentally-- it was easy to categorize at one point Leah as the "talker" and Sydney as the "walker." I hesitate to put labels on them since they change so quickly!
Those differences have become even more apparent in this third year of life. I can't begin to point out ever difference but here are just a few for starters.
Leah & Sydney
May 2006
When making PB& J "NO JELLY" for Leah
Sydney must have her "special blanky" to go to sleep
Leah needs "two nuks"
Sydney belives milk must come in a sippy cup, Leah could take it or leave it
Leah is really getting in to potty training
Sydney responds to "you can use the potty" with the stern "I DON'T"
Leah prefers to sing
Sydney prefers to groove
But of course, they are sisters so there are so many games they enjoy together
Baby/momma, crafts, library, school, etc. It's facinating to see who plays what role in each of these games, it's constantly shifting.
Scott and I have both come to realize that one-on-one time is really important for both of them. A lot of acting out/tantrums is often a result of just wanting some attention, even if negative. Sydney really craves these interactions, even more so than Leah it seems and we are trying to make time for both of them to feel "special."
I'll never forget waking up one morning to the argument "My mommy!" "No, MY Mommy!" and it went back and forth until I reassured them I was BOTH their mommies.
Singleton parents just don't know what they're missing ! :)
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
The Nanny Diaries-- Final Installment
We found a wonderful, creative, energetic student named Zeena (not to be confused with Xeena, the princess warior)-- who had graduated from Agnes Scott and was pursuing creative writing while working as a nanny for a seven year old girl. Her schedule had opened up a bit and she was a perfect fit for the girls-- they loved her the minute they met her.
Zeena bundles up Leah on a cold November Day
Zeena bundles up Leah on a cold November Day
Zeena's style was very natural in terms of her outlook on life and how she approached the girls. I made it clear to her that taking care of them took preceedence over any other thing in the house, like laundry, etc. She took that very literally. Those girls played HARD. They'd go outside for hours, coming in and do crafts, take walks, read books and were always asleep when I'd get home. The down side-- well, I'd be scraping play-do off the floors and picking things up and doing tons of laundry beginning the minute she left. But the girls were happy!
Then the nanny curse continued-- Zeena gave us the bad news that she had been accepted to a teaching program that would pay for her grad school. She had to go out of town immediately for a seminar and didn't know how this would affect her schedule. Of course, my mother came in to the rescue while she went out of town.
But here's where it gets weird-- she never came back when she said she would. And we were quite scared! And pissed! I mean, why didn't she return any calls? I suddenly realized I had no emergency contact information for her. I just kept leaving voicemals and emails over the course of 3 days thinking "either something horrible has happend, or she is SO FIRED!"
Then one morning I got an email that said "I'm alive!"-- and explained she had been in a car accident in Savannah (jot injured thankfully) and they towed away her purse and cell phone. Doesn't explain why she couldn't find a pay phone and dial 411 in my opinion. The final zinger was that her fellowship started immediately and she was sorry she couldn't give two weeks notice.
AAAHHH! She agreed via email to call me that night to talk more about the situtation. Guess what, she never called.
By this point the girls were able to wonder where Zeena had gone! I told them, sadly that she went back to school. We've never heard from her since.
The story comes full circle as Barbara stepped up to the plate after Zeena's sudden departure, no questions asked. That was February of this year. At this point the girls were a bit older and not so much babies any more but walking talking toddlers with lots of imagination and energy. I knew I would miss the all -un attitude of Zeena, but knew that this was just a part-time situation and they were still getting great care, even if Barbara did do things like buy them new pacifiers and occasionally spoon fed them breakfast (!).
Since February we've been plugging along doing well but Barbara suddendly started feeling bad health-wise. It's hard to explain what's wrong as she also has a hard time telling me what the problem was. It's still being looked in to with doctors visits, etc. Short story is that she was out all last week and then tried to come in Tuesday but it was just too much. I feel terrible for her because she's having a lot of discomfort and might not know her own limits.
Scott stayed home with them Wednesday, and my mom has them today.
But then what? Do I assume she's out for a long period of time? It gets more complicated as Lucy and I had agreed to nanny share this summer 2 days a week. I feel like I've let her down as well! Can I continue to call on mom when she's made it understandably clear one day is about all she can reasonably do?
It gets even more complicated since the girls start pre-school (HURRAH) August 29 for two days a week. That means I only need nanny help one day. Will it be Barbara? Or do we start the hunt again?
Sometimes it makes me wish we'd gone the way of daycare-- but not really.
The Nanny Diaries-- Part Two (of Three)
Anyway, post Camille we turned to someone already in our family, Barbara, who had been taking care of my grandmother for several years. Grandma at this point was going back and forth from hospitals to rehabilitation and finally to assisted living during the period of July 2004 until she died in November 2004. Barbara was more than happy to watch over Frances' little angels! She really saved the day and as my work schedule increased, she took on the additional hours.
Barbara definitely falls in to the other category of nanny the "I've raised a child and I will do what I think is best for the girls." She kind of had her own personal touch as to how to do things. Bottom line the girls were well cared for-- they got TONS of cuddles every day and of course were well fed. And magically our houe was cleaner, the laundry was neater-- life was good! And unlike Camille who often had car troubles and other random issues, Barbara was the MOST reliable person I've ever worked with. Never late, in fact she was always early and refused to leave until she had finished what she started. The biggest issue was communication-- she is totally laid back and generally has the same response to everything: "ooooh, OK."
On Easter Sunday, 2005 we got the sad call from her that at her mother had died. At this time I was working 20 hours a week and we were in the process of selling our house. Barbara informed us that she needed to go t Jamaica to deal with her mother's affairs. We totally understood and told to do whatever she needed to do. I guess our assumption that meant, oh, one or two weeks.
To make a very long story short, she didn't not come back until some time in mid JUNE. During that time we sold our house, bought a house, moved, I countined to work 20 hours a week, and my poor mother was watching the girls a minimum of 4 days a week. The worst part was we never really heard from Barbara-- we just continued to leave messages for her daugther who would indicate she had no idea when Barbara was coming back. At a certain point, I belive it was mid-May, we finally put out the call for a new nanny.
I felt bad basically "firing" Barbara but we honestly had no idea when, if ever she was coming back. My mom was at her wits end and even my boss said "we can't have this sort of inconsistency." It was REALLY stressful.
The Nanny Diaries Part One
I am a lucky mommy-- I get to work part time (80 hours a month) for a fabulous employer. I've had this gig for a year and a half and so far so good. I'm challenged, I feel valued and I learn something new each day. The folks are smart and respect my time. Best of all I have at least one day a week off and my afternoons with the ladies. Although I will admit they're much happier creatures the FIRST part of the day than in the afternoon. But I'll take it.
Our biggest challenge is childcare. Since the girls were 4 months old we've had some sort of help. Well, actually, since the minute they were BORN thanks to GramE and all our other family and friends who came down.
But when they were a few months old my Grandma, the girls' Great-Grandma Frances, realized I could use some help. She gave us some seed money to hire help about 15-20 hours a week. That's when we met Camille. She was a sociology major at Clark Atlanta University. She had a good amount of experience including multiples and was a total doll. And as I learned, as a younger caregiver, she tended to default to whatever we told her to do in terms of taking care of the kids.
It was great-- I wasn't working so I would use that time to run errands, grocery shop, do someone projects, even go crazy and make baby food. Oh, and then I realized I could do fun things too like to out to lunch with friends :) It was a pretty great time actually!
But when the summer ended she had to go back to school and she no longer had any day time availability. This of course happened the same time I finally landed my first part time opportunities at a local company specializing in radio public relations as well as my friend Lucy's agency.
Let me say for the record, I don't know WHAT I would do with out my mother-- she has taken care of them more days than I can count since they were born. She's been there, with out question, every time we need someone to watch the girls. I honestly don't know what we'd do without her. Our current deal is "one day a week" -- but it always seems to turn in to more when we get in a pinch. I am so afraid of abusing what is a wonderful situation.... More on that later.
Our biggest challenge is childcare. Since the girls were 4 months old we've had some sort of help. Well, actually, since the minute they were BORN thanks to GramE and all our other family and friends who came down.
But when they were a few months old my Grandma, the girls' Great-Grandma Frances, realized I could use some help. She gave us some seed money to hire help about 15-20 hours a week. That's when we met Camille. She was a sociology major at Clark Atlanta University. She had a good amount of experience including multiples and was a total doll. And as I learned, as a younger caregiver, she tended to default to whatever we told her to do in terms of taking care of the kids.
It was great-- I wasn't working so I would use that time to run errands, grocery shop, do someone projects, even go crazy and make baby food. Oh, and then I realized I could do fun things too like to out to lunch with friends :) It was a pretty great time actually!
But when the summer ended she had to go back to school and she no longer had any day time availability. This of course happened the same time I finally landed my first part time opportunities at a local company specializing in radio public relations as well as my friend Lucy's agency.
Let me say for the record, I don't know WHAT I would do with out my mother-- she has taken care of them more days than I can count since they were born. She's been there, with out question, every time we need someone to watch the girls. I honestly don't know what we'd do without her. Our current deal is "one day a week" -- but it always seems to turn in to more when we get in a pinch. I am so afraid of abusing what is a wonderful situation.... More on that later.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Trip to DC this Fall
It's looking like we're going to be able to see our family and friends in DC this fall
The dates we're looking at are:
October 5-10 (Thursday-Tuesday).
The dates we're looking at are:
October 5-10 (Thursday-Tuesday).
Of course, the first and last day are nothing but driving!
But that should give us 4 full days to see everybody, as well as take advantge of all the great things to do up there.
So family-- consider yourself notified :)
Why Am I Doing This?
I suppose I started this blog not for my own record keeping but also to post what's new with Leah & Sydney who are really the stars of the show around here. They are so amazing and change so much each day it's hard to keep up. I feel like their childhood is slipping away before my eyes! It's hard to belive that they'll be three at the end of this year. I want them to stay little forever, but at the same time I love each and every development and unfiltered thing that they say.
In an attempt to spend as much time with them as I can-- I'm running from work today to Callanwolde to sign them up for another semester of Kindermusik. We do it on Fridays and they call it "music class" and it's always a ton of fun. Looking forward to this Friday when Scott and I will both have the day off and we can just hang out before picking up the next round of houseguests-- Donny!
Will be great to see him-- it's crazy to think he's never met the girls.
So I guess my goal is to post on this thing 2-3 times a week with some reflections on what's new with the girls, and how our family life is going. Perhaps this can serve as a way to keep folks involved in what's going on, or even to comment on what they read- - a forum to keep in touch.
It's funny because a read a variety of blogs every day and we constantly monitor them for our clients and their industries. But I have yet to find a way to make this technology work for me personally. We'll see how this experiment works!
In an attempt to spend as much time with them as I can-- I'm running from work today to Callanwolde to sign them up for another semester of Kindermusik. We do it on Fridays and they call it "music class" and it's always a ton of fun. Looking forward to this Friday when Scott and I will both have the day off and we can just hang out before picking up the next round of houseguests-- Donny!
Will be great to see him-- it's crazy to think he's never met the girls.
So I guess my goal is to post on this thing 2-3 times a week with some reflections on what's new with the girls, and how our family life is going. Perhaps this can serve as a way to keep folks involved in what's going on, or even to comment on what they read- - a forum to keep in touch.
It's funny because a read a variety of blogs every day and we constantly monitor them for our clients and their industries. But I have yet to find a way to make this technology work for me personally. We'll see how this experiment works!
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