August Update

Wow, goodbye summer. What an exhausting blur you've been for me.

The dapper fellow: 

Joe celebrated his birthday with friends and ice cream cake! Huzzah!

He managed to get all of his summer work projects done! Double huzzah! He also performed with an improv team and successfully auditioned for another, as well as had one of his team ideas chosen for a little festival type deal. He's now feverishly preparing for his new classes in the fall and trying to let his wife get some sleep when possible. What a good husband.

Joe also took Z to swim lessons this month for two weeks. It was pretty adorable sending the two of them off to the park via bike and bike trailer to go swimming. Z did well for the most part with only a couple of melt downs. It's hard to tell a squirmy two year old he can't get in the pool yet.

The less dapper lady:

Let's be honest, if my hair is brushed and I don't have spit up on my clothes, I'm doing well.

Hair, not brushed. Random pillow from me trying to sleep on couch one day. Hot mess.Cute kids. Blurry selfie.

I'm also feverishly preparing for my classes. I'm looking forward to the new semester and getting to know all my students, but I know it's going to be a lot of work balancing my kiddos and classes. Our fall schedule looks like this:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 8-12 boys are at daycare. I have a 9 AM and 11 AM English 100 class.
Tuesday: Preschool Open Gym 9:30-10:30
Thursday: Mom's Group Meeting 9:30-11

My goal was for Z to have active play time every morning outside of our house so we didn't get stir crazy this winter in our small home and I have succeeded. He loves the playroom at the mom meeting and the preschool open gym, which is offered through River Falls Community Education, is the most brilliant idea ever. Just a gym, a bunch of toys and piles of preschoolers running all their energy out. He also gets "large muscle playtime" at daycare, so it's great.

Speaking of the eldest:

He's adjusting well to the new schedule so far and now doesn't seem to have a problem making it to the later nap time. He's always busy and creative. He still has his meltdowns, but they are getting to be fewer and he's becoming a good listener. He definitely understands actions and consequences and loves pushing boundaries, ex. I told him not to throw a book,and he stopped, but then dropped it on the floor over and over. When I told him to stop that, he did, but then sat on the floor letting it fall out of his hands. All with a big smile on his face. Little stinker.
He's gotten really good at kicking a ball, like a little soccer player, which is adorable and makes me think we'll have to sign him up for tiny people soccer aka "watch the child swarm chase a ball." I really enjoy the one on one time I get with him these days and love our "dates" to the Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings.



He's still not talking much, which continues to mildly concern me. I was told he would not even be considered for speech therapy until 6 months after his ear tubes surgery, so I'm going to talk to his doctor about getting him an evaluation at Bear's 4 month appointment since I've heard the process can take awhile. Less because I really think he needs it and more because I know that if he ultimately does and I didn't get him evaluated, I would feel really guilty. So, it's for my peace of mind more than anything else. I should probably just be patient, and if I'm being honest with myself, I still think it's at least 75% due to his personality and that he will talk when he decides he's ready. However, I do still worry about his hearing and wonder if he has had some permanent hearing loss. Basically, I'm just too paranoid and crazy to wait it out.

And then there's the tiny:

I don't have a lot to say about the tiny because he gets monthly posts of his own right now. So, he's a picture. He's very good at grabbing and holding things now. After all, something needs to be in his mouth at all times or devastation!!!