I feel like it’s been a month since I last posted anything! So much has been happening, so I will just hit the highlights! The last few weeks have been doozies! Getting Stratton ready and started in Pre-K, dealing with an 11 month old that is into EVERYTHING, Jarrod working late and sometimes all night, all while having a virus that resembled the flu (but worse!) has got me beat!
Last Monday, August 12th Jarrod was off work since he was about to go on call, so I took off as well and we had an impromptu “Stratton Day”. Jarrod got a new truck (well, new to him) the previous Friday so he had to take it back up to the dealership to have them finish cleaning it up, so Stratton and I had a good morning at home. Then he took an early nap so we could get to the movies at 2:30! We took him to see “Planes”! He got to get coke and popcorn and sour sweet tarts, too! He loved it! In fact he told us it was “awesome” and it was the “best day ever”. I am glad we got to spend some time with him alone since it seems like Arden is taking up so much of our attention these days since she is SO busy and always into something!
That was Stratton’s last week at TKZ and on Friday they had a little party for the kids leaving for Pre-K. Stratton did seem a little sad to be leaving, and he started saying that he didn’t want to go to a new school. I was nervous, but felt like when he saw his new school and classroom and met his teachers he would change his mind! Naturally, I was right. Monday, the 19th, was VV Pre-K open house. We went to the early drop-in at 10:00am, Jarrod thought that would work better for him. It took us a few minutes to find his classroom! There was so much going on since Kindergarten drop in was the same day. But we found it and we were the only ones in his class there. It was nice to talk to the teachers and for him to get acquainted with the room with no one else around. I had to fill out a bunch of papers and they already had sign up sheets for the events ready. Whew! I didn’t realize how many events and parties they have! Stratton liked his new teachers, they are both very nice! We stayed for about an hour and Stratton played and looked around. Then Jarrod went back to work and Stratton and I met my mom and dad for lunch before I went back to work and my mom stayed at the house with Stratton. After work I needed to run to Target so I took both kids with me (wow! It will be awhile before I do that again!) Then we went home and played outside.
Arden likes the Sandbox as much as Stratton!
Stratton with his new “Dusty zippity flyer”
Tuesday my mom came and stayed with Stratton since he didn’t start school till Wednesday. They had a fun day! They went to the park (where Stratton skinned his knee at the splash pad) and played all morning. After work I realized just how awful I felt. I had been achy and tired and cold- but honestly that’s not too uncommon these days!! But I felt chilled so I took my temp and sure enough, I was running fever. Luckily my mom had already planned on taking Arden home with her for a couple of days so we could get our schedule worked out with taking Stratton to school and thought it would be easier the first few days not having to take her to daycare, too. Plus, Jarrod was scheduled to work all night Tuesday night, so one less kid to take care of by myself is ok with me! I took advil and Stratton and I went to bed early! I didn’t sleep at all! I felt horrible- freezing, sweating, aching and had the weirdest pains in my arms and legs. Wednesday morning Jarrod got home about 6am. I got up and got Stratton ready for his first day! I was sad that I couldn’t walk him in to his room. But I knew I didn’t need to spread whatever I had around. So I rode up to the school but didn’t go in. He did great! In fact when Jarrod was hugging him before he left, Stratton told him that he was “smushing” him and then walked away! I obviously didn’t go to work, and Jarrod was home all day since he worked the night before, so when we got back we both crashed! I felt a little better later but about 7pm, I started feeling bad again and my fever went back up. Jarrod took Stratton to church and I was in bed by the time they got home! But Stratton had a great first day of school! He said he made a lot of new friends (but couldn’t remember any of their names) and he even told me he liked it so much better than his old school and even liked his new teachers better (which is saying a lot because he loved his teacher at TKZ). Thursday, I stayed home again. I am paranoid about spreading something and I really thought I might have had the flu. But by Thursday afternoon I was feeling much better. I had to pick Stratton up since Jarrod thought he’d have to work late anyway so I picked him up around 4pm from the after-school program he goes to, and we went to get ice cream (and an early supper) before my mom brought Arden back home.
Happy boy with his Bday cake ice cream!
The weekend wasn’t too bad. I tried to take it easy since I still wasn’t feeling 100%. Friday night we ran some errands and went out to eat. We had to get Arden some shoes to wear to school. Now that she’s trying to walk they want her to have them to walk outside. And all she has right now are sandals! We went to Isabella’s bday party Saturday night, she’s 12!!! Sunday was church and then we went to Amy and Dustin’s house after church Sunday evening. Juliet has a new jungle gym and the kids had so much fun playing on it. Our next house will for sure have a flat lot so we can have a play area! Monday was my first day to take Stratton to school and it went fine. I was nervous about the traffic and the car lines. I think we lucked out, as you have to walk the Pre-K kids in so you park in a lot beside the gym out of the main traffic flow. I will have to take pictures one day so you can see how crazy it is. They have police directing the traffic, so it’s pretty smooth, you just have to have some patience with so many cars it just takes awhile sometimes. I have found that the best time to leave our house is about 7:10, by the time we get to school and I walk him all the way to his room it’s usually about 7:35. I get to work between 7:50 and 8:00 depending on traffic. Not too bad. Jarrod has still been taking Arden in the mornings, so when I have to take her I will probably be a little late for work. In the afternoons I will need to pick him up first even though that’s really not what makes the most sense, since we live so close to the school and my office is closer to Arden’s school. But he has to be picked up by 5:30 and if I picked Arden up first it’s not likely that I can get all the way back to VV by then! Arden doesn’t have to be picked up till 6:00. Either way, it’s a lot of back and forth and driving in the afternoons. I am not sure how Wednesdays are going to work. I am used to us getting home about 5:30 and we barely make it to church on time. Now it’s going to be 6:00 or later before we get home and that 30-45 minutes make a lot of difference when you have to feed, bathe and change two kids!! We will see. I will try to leave early on Wednesdays but I can’t always get away.
Randoms from the past few weeks:
Playing in the sandbox, their favorite toy.
Arden took a pic of herself, not too bad!
Stories and snuggles before bed
