Owen's first day of school

The night before Owen's first day of school he had trouble falling asleep.  He was soooooo excited and couldn't wait to go to Kindergarten.  The next morning he couldn't wait to head out the door to the bus stop.  Even though the bus stop is about 100 feet away, we drove there so Mike could sit in the car and watch since he was still really sick.

When we got there, both boys got out of the car and walked over to the other school kids from Linda's house.  We wanted to get a picture of all the school kids, but right away Owen took my hand and started to cry.  I wasn't surprised.  In fact, I kind of expected him to get upset.  He gets really excited for things and then when they are about to happen, he thinks of all sorts of senarios and works himself up.  He hid behind my arm and held my hand and cried until I was able to figure out why he was upset.  He said he was afraid he wouldn't know what bus to get on to get home.  Bless his heart.  That is a really scary thought.  Thankfully the older kids at Linda's were able to tell him exactly what will happen and it didn't take long until he was happy and playing football with the other kids while waiting for the bus.

It took a really long time for the bus to arrive.  I think it was 15 minutes late and we were already 15 minutes early so it was a lot of waiting, which means a lot of time for Owen's mind to start to wander.  He got quiet a few minutes before the bus arrived and told me he was worried he didn't know how long he was going to be at school.  I told him it was less than 3 hours... as long as Adam naps everyday.  Then he was fine and soon after the bus pulled up and his buddy Aiden took his hand and walked him onto the bus.  I know he was scared, but he did it.  He didn't cry and I didn't have to  carry him on the bus and plop him on a seat like I had nightmares about all summer.  Phew!

Then I had to take Adam into Linda's house.  He was holding onto me for dear life, crying hysterically.  You know... making sure my first day back at work is extra sad and miserable.  Maggie had to peal him off of me and I had to walk away.

To top the day off, Mike was on his way to the doctor for some major pain he was having and later that day had to have an ultrasound.  Talk about a stressful first day!  For some reason I've learned that major events in our life never go exactly as we hope/plan for.  I guess that's just life.

Thankfully I was able to swing over to Linda's house during my lunch break to watch Owen get off the bus and hear about his first day of school.  I waited in my car for the bus to arrive and when it finally did I couldn't wait to see Owen!  I thought I saw him in the tinted bus windows, but when the bus driver opened the door, no one came off the bus.  I started to get on the bus because I was terrified that he wasn't on.  I got scolded by the bus driver for stepping on the bus.  I guess that's a big no-no.  She asked who I needed and then called for Owen to get off the bus.  He stood up and got off.  Poor guy didn't know what to do.  I guess he was waiting for permission to stand up and get off the bus.  It's funny how the simple things, like getting off a bus, we just assume kids know, but it's not always the case.

I was so relieved when he told me he had a good day.  He said he went to music class and walked all around the school and went to recess for only a minute.  Then he went into Linda's and I had to wait until I picked him up later that afternoon to get more details about the first day. 

Thankfully, the week got much better after the first day of school.  Owen LOVES school.  He is so content and happy to go each day.  He shares bits and pieces with me and I'm trying really hard not to be a helicopter mom and grill him about everything he does each day. 

Adam is doing much better at daycare too.  He cries in the morning when he leaves me, but it doesn't last long once he gets there.  He's finally eating lunch and not crying during the day.  Mike is doing much better too.  His ultrasound came back clear and he returned to work on Thursday.  I'm thankful for a three day weekend so he can rest.  I'd hate to see him over due it and the headaches return. 

Everyone was so kind, supportive, and helpful while Mike was sick.  Friends and family brought meals, helped watch the boys, and took the time to check in to see how he was doing.  My friends at work were so sweet too.  We're lucky to be surrounded by such wonderful people!  Thank you!

First Day Pictures

Here are some pictures from this morning.  I'll write more about Owen's first day later.  

I asked Owen if I could take his picture and his was his first pose.  Bahahaahaaahhaaaa!  So funny!!!  He said he was being a ninja.

Adam had to have a name tag just like his brother.

Every pose Owen would do Adam would attempt the same one.

 

Don't ask me what in the world Owen is doing.

Playing football with the boys while waiting for the bus to arrive.

His best buddy Aiden is going into 1st grade.  He was so nice to sit with him on the bus and help him not feel so scared.

A Letter to My Kindergartner

Dear Owen,

I feel like I blinked and you went from a tiny, helpless newborn that fit so perfectly in my arms to an independent, strong five year old.

Thankfully you still like to sit on my lap and snuggle and while it may not look like you fit perfectly in my arms like you did five years ago, it still feels just right to me.

 

I was thinking about what I wanted to write to you tonight while in the shower and I started to cry.  A good, big cry.  I needed that and I'm hoping I got it out of my system.

 

You are so ready and very excited for Kindergarten.  You can't wait to learn to read and write more words and play on the playground.  However, you said that you are most excited to meet new friends.  I love that and I can't wait either.

 

But I have to admit, part of me wishes I could keep you in a bubble.  I know that's not what good parents do.  They let their children go, one step at a time, but this is a big step for me.  I don't want you to lose your innocence.  Right now you think "knock it off", "shut up", and "hate" are bad words and I'd really like to keep it that way. 

You are such a handsome little guy, but looks will only get you so far and it's not what makes a person great.  What makes you so great is your kind heart.  The other day you were driving with daddy and you commented on how beautiful the field by our house was.  You said, "God did such a great job when he made this world."  That's the way you think and I wish I could say it had to do with your dad and I, but it's just you.  It's what we love so much about you.  You are wise beyond your years.  I hope you are always able to find beauty in this world because sometimes it's hard to find.  We hope you are smart and get good grades, but more than that, we hope you are a kind person.  We hope you help someone that needs a friend and include the little boy or girl that feels left out.  Even though Adam wasn't very nice to you today, you still asked him if he wanted to hold your hand in the car when he was sad.  You love him unconditionally and are so forgiving.  What wonderful qualities and you're only five.

Rarely a day goes by where your dad and I don't look at each other and comment on how great you (and your brother) are.  We are so proud of you and tonight, after you climbed into bed with your brother because it was his first night sleeping in your room and he was scared, daddy said to me "How did we get so lucky?"

You are such a blessing to us.  You are going to love school, but sadly, there will be times you don't like it.  Times when other kids are mean, you are frustrated, scared, feel alone, defeated, and maybe even heartbroken.  But just know that we love you so much and will be here to support you, even when you make mistakes.  And trust me, although we think you are pretty perfect, you WILL make mistakes, but we'll never stop thinking you are the greatest thing that happened to us.

So Monday morning, when you step on that bus and head off to school for the very first time, just know that you aren't alone.  You have a piece of my heart with you.  Always.  Every step of the way.  Forever and ever.

I love you.

Mom

Mike update

I thought we were finally over the great sickness of Summer 2012, but I was wrong.  Very, very wrong.  Mike was the third boy in our family to get the fever, chills, horrible headache and body ache thing.  I must have a rockin' immune system (knock on wood).  He had it last Tuesday through Friday and then got better and we thought it was over.  Then, Thursday around 10:30am he was teaching a class and he got a horrible headache, chills, and body ache again.  He went to Med Express and they thought it could be Lyme and started treating him for that until the blood work came back to confirm it.  Friday was just as bad.  He was in a lot of pain.  Our family doctor was out Thursday and Friday and we decided to just go to the Hershey ER.  We knew it could possibly be Lyme, but we also knew it could be something else and if it wasn't treated quickly it could be very very bad.  Lyme, West Nile, and Meningitis all have similar symptoms.  We spent 10 hours in the ER.  He had a CT scan and spinal tap.  He was given two shots of morphine and a migraine cocktail and none of that gave him much relief from his headache.  The tests showed that he has viral meningitis.  Thankfully it isn't bacterial- which can be deadly.  I think they pretty much knew he had meningitis right away because of his severe back pain and the #1 sign- he couldn't touch his chin to his chest.

He is home resting and just has to wait it out which is frustrating to him because Mike and laying around is an oxymoron.  He's a very active person.  There's nothing he can take because it's a virus and pain meds don't do anything.  While it can be contagious, he'd have to spit, cough, or sneeze on someone so we aren't really concerned about that.  He goes to our family doctor Tuesday to see if he can return to work Wednesday, but I'm not sure he'll physically be able to go back that soon.  We're just taking one day at a time because if we think too far ahead it gets overwhelming. 

I was so impressed with the care he received at Hershey.  They did get busy and it took a while to get results back, but that's to be expected.  Every doctor and nurse was so kind and personable to each patient.  They treated every patient like they were their only patient.  I can't say enough good things about the people working there.

I also don't know what I would have done without my sister.  I texted her about 100 times that day with questions/concerns, photos of things I didn't know about, etc.  She was so helpful.   I was thankful to have a sister that's a neuro nurse, that's for sure.

Meet the teacher

Tonight was Owen's kindergarten orientation.  I definitely lost some sleep over this night.  I was  worried that he would be the ONLY kiddo crying and refusing to get on the bus, but thankfully, he was fine.

He was so excited to meet his teacher and ride the bus.  His teacher is Mrs. Allwein, however she will be on maternity leave until the beginning of October.  Until then, his teacher will be Mrs. Haag.  Both teachers were there tonight which was nice.

Owen's sweet friend, Leah, is also in his class so they sat together on the bus. 

The kids each decorated a shoebox.  This is where they'll keep all the books they learn to read throughout the year.

 

Owen loved his classroom.  His favorite part was the corn table.

I just know he's going to love Kindergarten.  I'm not ruling out any tears (for me either), but once he gets in the groove, he's going to be fine!

Our Favorite Summer Memories

Two summers ago I made a book for Owen with pictures of the fun things we did over the summer and he STILL looks at it almost once a week.  He asked me to make another one with recent pictures.  Here it is!

Click here to view this photo book larger

Shutterfly allows you to customize your photo book just the way you want.

New York

Yesterday, my mom, Owen, and I went on one last adventure before Owen starts school on Monday and I go back to work. 

We caught (like ran and jumped on and almost missed it) the train in Lancaster and two hours later we were in New York City!  I can't even remember the last time I was in NYC, but I know it was before college- so that means over 10 years ago.

Thank goodness I decided at the last minute to bring a stroller along for Owen.  I brought a cheap-o umbrella stroller and it was so nice not having to worry about him getting lost in the crowd or keeping up with the fast pace walking.  He was able to enjoy the sights.  He was pretty amazed at the sky scrapers.  He'd never seen buildings that tall before!

We arrived in NY around 11ish and took a cab to Hard Rock for some lunch.  The food was delicious!!

 

Owen got to see the HUGE TV screens in Times Square.

After that we walked to Toys-R-Us.  That place was AMAZING!  We checked out the ferris wheel inside the building, but didn't ride it.  Neither Owen or my mom are big fans of ferris wheels.  The Lego selection and display was super exciting too.

That skyscraper is made out of Legos.

King Kong made out of Legos.

After that we walked to FAO Schwarz.  On the way there we stopped so Owen could have his portrait drawn.  

 

FAO Schwarz was neat, but not as exciting at Toys-R-Us (in my opinion).

After that we only had about an hour or so before we had to be back at the train station so we headed over to Central Park.  There were tons of kids and my mom and I people watched while Owen played with his Legos.  I think we could've sat there all day watching people. 

Then, we got a cab back to the train station and waited for our train to arrive to take us back home.  I really liked traveling by train.  It was so relaxing.  I caught up on all my celebrity gossip (I'm a few years behind). 

I enjoyed being in the big city for the day, but I am definitely a country girl.  Next time we go I think we'll try to see a show.  There were so many that looked good!  Thanks for the fun trip Lala!

Welcome Back

After almost 2 weeks of sickness, our family is finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.  It started with Owen, then Adam, and lastly Mike got it.  I think it was the flu- horrible headache, body aches, and fever.  No fun at all!  The only good thing is we've been forced to lay low, slow down, play at home, and enjoy the last few days of summer vacation the best we can.  I went out for dinner on Tuesday night with two friends and Owen took care of Mike and Adam while I was gone.  He got Mike ice packs and put Adam to bed.  Bless his heart.  He even made Mike a "Get Better" card.  I'm loving his card-making lately.  He's really starting to try to write on his own and I think it's the cutest thing.

Today he told me that when daddy is finally better he wants to make him a "welcome back" card.  That made me laugh.  Mike has spent the past 3 days in the basement on the couch.  Thankfully he is starting to feel better.

We made some delicious home-made Auntie Anne's pretzels the other day. Owen enjoyed my stories of when I worked at Auntie Anne's.  I showed off my super-fast pretzel making skills.  He was impressed.

And I think that's all the news I have for now.  Not very exciting

Another Milestone

I knew it would happen any day and all of a sudden it did.  I was sad when Owen reached this milestone, yet happy he could now do it on his own.  Definitely a sign my boy is growing up and needing me less and less...


sniff sniff

32 Years

Owen made this picture for me for my birthday and I love it.  He did it all by himself.  It says "Happy Birthday".

My birthday was not very exciting.  Both boys are sick :(  Owen had a fever Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and then started with a headache Wednesday.  He had a strep test Wednesday which turned out negative.  Yesterday he seemed fine, but I got a call today to come get him at daycare because he had a horrible headache.  He was in a lot of pain and I felt so helpless.  Mike took him to the doctor tonight just to make sure it wasn't an ear infection and it's not.  I guess it just has to run its course.  Adam started with a fever yesterday and today it got pretty high.  He just laid on Mike and I all morning like a hot noodle.  Poor guy.  He's a little more spunky tonight, but his fever is still there.   We had been on a great healthy streak so I guess it was just a matter of time.  Summer fevers are no fun!

Wordless Wednesday

Beth's Shower

Saturday was my sister's bridal shower.  It was at 1pm at Iron Valley Golf Course.  Since it was at 1pm we had appetizers instead of a sit-down meal.  It was really nice.  Most of the pictures were taken by my cousin, Kate.

The table centerpieces and guest favors

Turquoise is her wedding color.  It's also the color of my dress.

Delicious crab dip, chicken ranch pizza, and caprese pizza

lemon torte

 

One of Beth's favorite food was part of the menu

 

Centerpiece flowers on the food table

My mom's side of the family

My dad's side of the family

All the girl cousins

Eric's family

Beth's highschool friends- minus Erica

Only a little over 3 months until we head to St. John for Beth and Eric's wedding!  We can't wait!