children

I had to go into work early this morning and Scott had to work a night shift last night so I had SIL pick the girls up and take them in for early stay at 8. I warned them the night before I’d have to wake them up early. Well, ‘member when I said the girls would have a hard time getting up early when Emma starts school? Yeah, well, here’s proof.

I went to wake them up at 7:15 and told them they needed to get up. They started stirring in bed but no eyes opened. Emma says, “Mommy?” I said yes? She says, “My eyes won’t stay open.” I couldn’t help but laugh. I had opened the blinds but it was overcast. Lexi sits up and points at the window and says, “It’s not morning yet!!!”

So I let them sleep a few more minutes while I got their breakfast started and I came back to find them trying to get up. Emma says, “Mommy, everything looks fuzzy!”

Needless to say, I think the mornings are going to be hard to get used to come fall.

Scott and I went to visit our elderly neighbor in the hospital today.  We asked her what they found out about him and she says:

“We think it was the medicine they gave him.  It made him very erotic.  Thank goodness that’s over.”

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Emma: I need to think of one.  Daddy, haven’t you thunk-a-one yet?

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Emma walking down the aisle at Lowe’s: A good camper should be a good host.

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Emma: Mommy, will you [insert something she asked me to do while I was doing something else]

Me: Emma, I will.  I can only do so much.

Emma: Nuh-uh.  You can only do one thing at a time.  You only have two hands.

Conversations from tonight:

Scott: When are they going to the b. e. a. c. h?

Emma: Beach!

Me: How did you know that?

Emma: The B.  Beach.  And the H. Bea-ch.  *laughter because she’s so proud of herself*

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Me, on the iPhone sitting on the couch with Emma

Scott: You’re supposed to be spending time with us.

Emma: Yeah, that’s just a phone computer.

After Emma’s registration last week, I decided to teach her our phone number.  She had learned the first three numbers in school.  All I had to do was write down the whole thing and then teach her the rest. Our last four digits are 0437.  I told her to remember that 0 came first and then 4 and 3 add up to 7.  That’s how I would remember it and we really do learn the same.  She’s known it ever since.  I ask her every day what it is.

Well, the other night, I had her recite it (555-0437) to Mom and Dad and this is what she says…

“Five. Five. Five. Line. Zero. Four. Three. Seven.”

This morning we were awakened by a serious cry from Lexi in the bedroom.  I thought maybe she’d fallen off the bed or something.  I listened for a few more seconds and determined it was more of a “Emma just took my toy” kind of cry so I told her to come in my room.  She did, still crying and crawled in bed beside me.  I asked what was wrong and she wouldn’t tell me at first and in a teenage-like angst said, “Emma won’t be my best-est friend!”  Poor thing.  She’s said this a couple times when Emma doesn’t want to play a game or go somewhere Lexi wants to go.  I had Emma come in the room and had them “make up” but I’m telling you, Lexi LOVES her big sissy.

Alright, today was the big Kindergarten registration day.  All four of us went so Lexi could see where Emma would be when we tried to explain where she was come August.  The entire process was VERY organized.  They had five stations you had to go to.  We only had to pay $20 to register.  Sweet!!  Preschool snack fee is more than that!  The first station noticed that there was ANOTHER Emma.  Apparently that is the name of the year.  Seriously, EVERY girl there was named Emma.  There was Emma Jo, Emma Lee, Emma Caroline.  One time they actually called for the parents of Emma and we were like which one??

So we filled out a ton of paperwork and then Emma got her speech checked.  Her and another little girl got theirs done at the same time.  They went by themselves.  I had a little moment of panic when they took her by herself.  I was hoping Emma didn’t freak out and not talk–especially on  her speech test!  When they came out and we went to the last station, the lady asked her her name and both Scott and I looked at each other shocked when Emma said “Emma.”  Honestly, Emma is SO shy at talking to strangers.

So after that, they took the two girls down to the library.  All the Kindergarten teachers were each at a table and worked with one child individually on their evaluation. They had the sheet in our packet so I got to see what they test them on.  They had to recognize the numbers and letters and also count a set of 10 objects.  They had to recognize their colors and shapes and body parts.  And the only part that was sketchy for Emma was their phone number, address and birthdate.  Emma just told me yesterday that they are going to learn their phone number in school so the teacher said that’s what Emma told her.  She could tell her our city and the month of her birthday but that was it.  She said she did excellent and she was not shy at all and was enthusiastic giving her the answers.  When they called us back in, Emma was shy again, wanting on my lap and hugging me close.

While we were waiting was the only time I got a little panicked.  Lexi, Scott and I were in the hallway and Emma had been in the library for a few minutes and Lexi asked where Emma was and then said, “I want my sissy back!”  I looked and Scott and said I can’t do this!  There’s definitely going to be some adjustment on our parts without Emma around all the time.

At the end, we bought Emma a t-shirt and hair bow and sticker for our car.  They said they have spirit week the first Friday in the month and Emma was excited about the bow although I think she could have cared less about the shirt.  They have cute colors…maroon, black and yellow.

Although I was nervous when Emma had to go do things by herself and I know we’ll have some adjustments to make with her gone most of the day, I got excited for her today.  Everyone was so nice and I know she is going to love her new friends and all the activities they do.  The school is literally 1.4 miles and 3 minutes from our house so I don’t think taking her and picking her up is going to be an issue.   But really, I’m glad we have five months before she actually starts!  I really think we’ll both be excited about it by then.

Wednesday is the official day. I go and register Emma for kindergarten. I know I’m going to be such a cry baby about this whole thing. I was even thinking the other day that Emma won’t be with Lexi and I at lunchtime anymore. When Scott is off, she won’t be around to go run errands with us. It makes me teary eyed thinking of it!

So here’s my big stress points with this whole thing.

#1 Lunch. I have no idea why this makes me nervous but it does. I just keep picturing her having trouble putting her straw in a Caprisun and being too shy to ask for help. And then she doesn’t eat and she’s starving when she gets home and she tells me she what happened and then I realize she’s starving because she hasn’t eaten ALL DAY. Yeah, I know I’m freakin out a bit but I just want to be there to help her. As aggravating as it is to be asked 30 times a day to do something for her, I’m really, really going to miss it. OMG, I’m crying! See, this is not going to be good. It’s FIVE MONTHS before school starts and I’M CRYING. People tell me there are lunch workers and parents and teachers that will help so I’m trying to calm myself.

#2 Transportation. I’m stressing a bit about all the driving I’m going to have to do with Lexi in one place and Emma in another and all at different times during the day. I’ve thought about the bus but then I REALLY stress thinking of news stories of bus accidents. I don’t understand why there are no seatbelts in those things! For now, the bus is out. Emma wants no part in it and really I don’t either for now. We’re three minutes away from the school and Scott will be able to help out doing the driving so I’m just going with it for now. Maybe if she had an older girl in the neighborhood that could look out for her, I’d be ok. I know that has nothing to do with bus accidents but I don’t know, I just can’t handle the bus thing right now.

#3 What she’ll encounter. I’m nervous about what she’ll learn from other students that may have a bad family deal and rub off a bad attitude or maybe some bad words off on Emma. I know she’s just going to have to deal with that and learn to cope because one day she’ll be in the big, bad world and have to learn it eventually but I just don’t know if I’m ready for all these conversations we’re probably going to have to have. And I know I’m probably stressing about middle school and not kindergarten but I’m just being honest here.

And then there’s the whole school shooting/bomb thing that I think every parent must at least think about. It’s scary and it’s real.

#4 The crack of dawn morning.  I have no idea how we are going to get up early enough for Emma to be at school.  Right now we all roll out of bed around 8 for them to be at preschool by 9 and getting to school at 7:30 right now just sounds painful.  I know we just have to go to bed earlier and get up earlier but I like my late nights, people.

#5 Lexi by herself.  Lexi is really going to miss Emma.  She will be in preschool but after school, she won’t know what to do with herself.  Lexi can go into her own little world but most of the time. Emma and Lexi are attached at the hip.  There’s definitely going to be some adjustment there.

Yes, I’ve thought about homeschooling. I know I just can’t do it with my job. I’m not that much of a supermom. If I quit working, I may think more seriously about it but even then I’m so not equipped to teach Emma. I know we have one of the best schools you can have and I’m proud of that looking forward to her learning but I don’t know. I think I would be happy with Emma home for just a little longer.

Lexi woke me up at 2am with a fever.  I was able to get her to take those chewable Tylenol and it definitely helped but by the time she woke up at 9:30 this morning, it was back.  I’ve given her more and she’s huddled in my bed watching Noggin.  Let’s hope she does NOT have the flu.