Wednesday, Aug 29th was preschool orientation for Luke and Olivia. It was a chance for me to meet their teachers and see their classroom. There will be 4 girls and 8 boys in their class, although they won't all be there on the same days as some kids go Tuesday/Wednesday, Tuesday/Thursday, or Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday. Luke and Olivia will be going on Tuesday/Thursday. Their teachers will be Ms. Shannon and Ms. Mary. They have both been teachers for a long time and I've heard very good things about them. I wonder if they have met a 2 1/2 year old with Olivia's energy before!
It was very surreal to see their names on their hooks and on their bins. Ms. Shannon told me that sometimes they will share paperwork (newsletters, etc) but will also have separate things in their bins, too. I talked to the teachers about how it's important to us that Luke and Olivia to be treated as individuals and not as "the twins." Someone referenced them as that and I asked that they be called by their own names. Part of our hope with them going to preschool is that they learn to not be too dependent on one another. They are great now at socializing with other kids, and we have always been proud of their bravery, and we hope they continue their individuality as they grow older. Yes, they will always be close (hopefully!) and have a "twin bond" but they need to become their own people, too.
Seven of the 12 kids are from our neighborhood, so it will be like a 3.5 hour play date for them! This time we all managed to survive the day with no tears. We are hoping next Tuesday goes just as smoothly.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Fun at the Splash Pad
Before the fall and cooler weather hits, we are trying to take advantage of the local water attractions while we can. I recently took them to the splash pad in Denver for some playground and water fun. They LOVE going there, as they get to splash in the water and then walk across the sidewalk to a playground and picnic lunch. We met up with some of their friends, and they had a blast playing with the water guns and running through the arches of water. We are lucky to have so many great things nearby, and maybe we'll squeeze in one more trip before summer is over.
Bowling!
There is a bowling alley near us in Huntersville called Northcross Lanes. They have free bowling for kids during the summer, and I've been meaning to check it out for awhile. Well, this past week we finally made it, and it was SO much fun!
I organized an outing for some of Luke and Olivia's friends, and we met around 10:30am. They didn't have shoes small enough to fit the kids, so they kept on their tennis shoes or flip flops. We definitely weren't "playing by the rules!" The bumpers were up, but they didn't have "kid friendly" balls or ramps. So each kid used a 6 pound ball and pushed it down the alley. We were worried someone might drop it on their foot (or someone elses foot!), but everyone did great and was really careful.
Luke really took to it, as he seems to with most things sports related. He loves golf, football, basketball, etc. Olivia liked it, too, but grew bored after about 30 minutes-long enough for her to discover that all she got to do was roll the ball. Then she was on to the next thing, which was playing with her friends when it wasn't their turn.
Of course I had to take some pictures of the event. After Luke would roll the ball, he would lay down and watch it go. Olivia would just sit and wait to see how many pins she knocked down. Eventually Luke took to carrying the 6 pound ball all by himself. I was impressed with his strength!
It was a great way for them to learn to wait their turn, keep score, count the pins that fell, and share their bowling balls with each other. They had such a great time and our two lanes were filled with giggles. Eight frames and an hour and a half later, it was time to head off to lunch. I think we'll definitely go back soon.
Tyler, Sean, Luke and Olivia
I organized an outing for some of Luke and Olivia's friends, and we met around 10:30am. They didn't have shoes small enough to fit the kids, so they kept on their tennis shoes or flip flops. We definitely weren't "playing by the rules!" The bumpers were up, but they didn't have "kid friendly" balls or ramps. So each kid used a 6 pound ball and pushed it down the alley. We were worried someone might drop it on their foot (or someone elses foot!), but everyone did great and was really careful.
Luke really took to it, as he seems to with most things sports related. He loves golf, football, basketball, etc. Olivia liked it, too, but grew bored after about 30 minutes-long enough for her to discover that all she got to do was roll the ball. Then she was on to the next thing, which was playing with her friends when it wasn't their turn.
Of course I had to take some pictures of the event. After Luke would roll the ball, he would lay down and watch it go. Olivia would just sit and wait to see how many pins she knocked down. Eventually Luke took to carrying the 6 pound ball all by himself. I was impressed with his strength!
It was a great way for them to learn to wait their turn, keep score, count the pins that fell, and share their bowling balls with each other. They had such a great time and our two lanes were filled with giggles. Eight frames and an hour and a half later, it was time to head off to lunch. I think we'll definitely go back soon.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Every day is an adventure!
Well, this Monday morning started out like any other. The alarm goes off and Dan and I start the usual...showers, getting dressed and hopefully coffee before anyone wakes up. This morning, however, Luke was crying by around 6:30am. He's been doing this the past few mornings and we talked with him about how mommy and daddy have to get ready for the day and then we would come and get him out of bed. Usually, they wake up around 6:30/6:45am and stay in bed and just play with their toys until we come get them, which has been around 7:15am.
Luke cried for about 5-10 minutes and then started to settle down. So Dan and I finished getting ready and then went to his room, just before 7am. We turned the door knob, but this time it was locked. LOCKED! Dan and I looked at each other in disbelief and immediately went to get something so we could unlock the door. While Dan was getting the penny, I looked underneath the door to see where Luke was. I didn't see him. Panic set in and we couldn't get into his room fast enough! Once we got the door open, we saw Luke laying in his bed safe and sound. Hmmmm.....his noise machine was also off and laying on the other side of his dresser.
The conversation went a little like this:
Us: Luke, did you get outta bed, buddy?
Luke: Yes
Us: Did you turn your noise machine off?
Luke: Yes. It was loud.
Us: Did you then climb back into your bed and lay down?
Luke: Yes (lip quiver as if he was in trouble)
Us: Luke, you're not in trouble. We just don't want you to get a boo-boo on your head.
Luke: Ok. Can you get me out now?
This is the second time he's climbed out. The first time was awhile ago. We're not sure if he'll do it again, but the time for toddler beds may be coming sooner than we anticipated. First preschool, and now maybe toddler beds? Say it isn't so!!!
Luke cried for about 5-10 minutes and then started to settle down. So Dan and I finished getting ready and then went to his room, just before 7am. We turned the door knob, but this time it was locked. LOCKED! Dan and I looked at each other in disbelief and immediately went to get something so we could unlock the door. While Dan was getting the penny, I looked underneath the door to see where Luke was. I didn't see him. Panic set in and we couldn't get into his room fast enough! Once we got the door open, we saw Luke laying in his bed safe and sound. Hmmmm.....his noise machine was also off and laying on the other side of his dresser.
The conversation went a little like this:
Us: Luke, did you get outta bed, buddy?
Luke: Yes
Us: Did you turn your noise machine off?
Luke: Yes. It was loud.
Us: Did you then climb back into your bed and lay down?
Luke: Yes (lip quiver as if he was in trouble)
Us: Luke, you're not in trouble. We just don't want you to get a boo-boo on your head.
Luke: Ok. Can you get me out now?
This is the second time he's climbed out. The first time was awhile ago. We're not sure if he'll do it again, but the time for toddler beds may be coming sooner than we anticipated. First preschool, and now maybe toddler beds? Say it isn't so!!!
Friday, August 3, 2012
Potty Training
Oh, potty training...how I loathe thee! Some kids potty train quickly. Others, not so much. We fall into the second category.
I have not been pushing to potty train because everyone tells me they will let you know when they are ready. However Dan is more ready for them to potty train, so we decided to give it a try. The weekend warrior route just isn't for us, so we started slowly. I have ready a few books on different techniques, and slow and steady is the best route for our family. Also, we decided to just focus primarily on Olivia since she seems much more ready than Luke. He is content to just watch Olivia sit on the potty and keep on wearing his diaper. When Olivia wakes up in the morning, she puts on a t-shirt and princess panties. She stays in them until mid morning and we sit on the potty every 15-30 minutes with baby Pretzel. Yes, baby Pretzel sits on the potty and we wait for her to pee while Olivia sits on her potty next to her. We have done this all week. While Olivia (and baby Pretzel) have yet to pee in the potty, she hasn't had an accident in her panties yet, either. She has an amazing capacity to hold her pee, or a large bladder! Either way, it's a slooooowwwww process, but consistency and patience will pay off.
I have heard and read from multiple sources that 3 is the "magic" age to potty train, so maybe we are jumping ahead just a little. Most of Luke and Olivia's friends are potty trained or on their way, so we thought it might be time as well. But most of their friends go to school or have an older sibling, and we know that helps. Their preschool program this fall will also work with them, and we feel confident they won't start kindergarten in diapers. :) That gives us some time to keep working on it!
I have not been pushing to potty train because everyone tells me they will let you know when they are ready. However Dan is more ready for them to potty train, so we decided to give it a try. The weekend warrior route just isn't for us, so we started slowly. I have ready a few books on different techniques, and slow and steady is the best route for our family. Also, we decided to just focus primarily on Olivia since she seems much more ready than Luke. He is content to just watch Olivia sit on the potty and keep on wearing his diaper. When Olivia wakes up in the morning, she puts on a t-shirt and princess panties. She stays in them until mid morning and we sit on the potty every 15-30 minutes with baby Pretzel. Yes, baby Pretzel sits on the potty and we wait for her to pee while Olivia sits on her potty next to her. We have done this all week. While Olivia (and baby Pretzel) have yet to pee in the potty, she hasn't had an accident in her panties yet, either. She has an amazing capacity to hold her pee, or a large bladder! Either way, it's a slooooowwwww process, but consistency and patience will pay off.
I have heard and read from multiple sources that 3 is the "magic" age to potty train, so maybe we are jumping ahead just a little. Most of Luke and Olivia's friends are potty trained or on their way, so we thought it might be time as well. But most of their friends go to school or have an older sibling, and we know that helps. Their preschool program this fall will also work with them, and we feel confident they won't start kindergarten in diapers. :) That gives us some time to keep working on it!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)