First day of preschool & the major changes it brings

Today was Andrew's first day of school!

JD and I decided last night that this morning we (the entire family) would start waking up, being fully dressed and ready for the day, and eat breakfast together.  Mind you I had already done my grocery shopping for the week and hadn't planned on breakfasts' for the week (other than the typical cereal - lol).  Anyway, we did it.  It went pretty well, definitely needs some tweaking.  I managed to feed the family on 4 tortillas, 6 eggs, a cup of cheese, a lb. of bacon, some fresh blueberries & a few dried cranberries. - Talk about feeding the 5000!  God certainly stretched that one.

Jonathan took Andrew to school...after a quick stop at Harris Teeter for the 2 remaining school supplies he needed...some clorox wipes & spiral notebook (which was $7.00)...CRAZY.  I guess it wasn't on e-vic this week or I forgot to send a coupon with him! Oh well, you win some you loose some!  That's what I get for waiting until the morning of the first day of school.

After they left, the kids and I worked hard at doing chores. We were working on todays and tomorrows (as we are going to be out all day tomorrow - and every once in a while I like to give it a go at overachieving).  Lizzy was a HUGE help.  She wiped down all the sinks and pottys, and gathered the trash.  I had Jacob unload the dryer while I was nursing (which turned out to be quite the adventure by the end - he unloaded it into the basket and then also loaded with it the remaining dirty clothes in the floor waiting to be washed).    While "unloading" he also somehow got the feather duster down but wasn't tall enough to hang it back up.  I told him to just put in on the washing machine and I would put it away.  When I got to the laundry room, it was IN the washing machine!

We eventually were able to start our "exermisizing" as Jacob calls it.  We (sort of) walked a mile in (sort of) the 20 min. typical length, using (sort of) weighted balls (i.e. we use cans of beans or diced tomatoes from the pantry) and I was (sort of) able to do the section where you use both arms (as Cyndi's desire to be held tends to be that exact moment)!  I think next time I may just strap her on my back and call her my 20lb. baby weight! Which happens to be exactly what I was hoping to loose by Dec. 31st.

My plans to not use any technology other than turning on music to work to during the day turned out pretty well.  After we "exermicised" & having had done a good bit of our chores, I did turn on Dora The Explorer just long enough to take a shower.  I left instructions that Elizabeth was in charge and the she needed to entertain Cyndi while the boys watched the show.  Well, VERY SOON after I got in the shower and started washing my hair (which is not the most convenient time to URGENTLY need mommy), it happens.  Cyndi falls down the stairs - but no need to worry it was only 2 or 3 - the gate was locked.  I rinsed quickly and could tell by her cry that she wasn't hurt, but scared/startled.  So, we nursed again!

By then it was close enough to lunch time that I decided to go ahead start.  Because of the school year starting I've had to rethink "bath time" for the kids - which I HATE WITH A PASSION!  So, right now it stands that "schooling" children will bathe at night and "non-schooling" children will bathe during the day (which takes a good 30 min chunk out of the non-stop chaotic day).  I figured that if I bathed them after lunch  I could wash off their messes and HOPEFULLY get them in the "sleepy" mode for nap time.  Today's bath time was let's say "revolutionary" for Jacob (he noticed that there was a hole in his anatomy and was taken back for a second).  I also noticed that one great way to teach your younger children to "like" water or "not mind it" is to stick them in the tub with a brother and a cup who is constantly pouring it on top of your head - My poor "Charlie Bear".

Next...NAPS...which are always an adventure in themselves.  Charlie can climb out of his bed and enjoys doing so.  It recently occurred to me that he climbs INTO Cyndi's crib, and INTO the crib at church, so why is it that he can't climb back INTO his crib?  I wonder?

Once everyone was asleep, I managed to call Verizion, call the Bank, finish folding a load of laundry, and I don't remember what else - maybe I took a nap and didn't realize it!  Now that we have to pick up school kids again, nap time has to be moved up a bit in order for everyone to get an ENTIRE nap and be up and "redressed" (for some reason all my kids insist on sleeping "naked baby" - just in their undies or diapers). We finally get loaded up in the car for the EXTREMELY LONG 4 min trip to the school (with a stoplight).  Funny how it take 15 min. to load the kids in the car for a less than 10 min. trip to the school and back and another 10 min. for everyone to unload and get back in the house.

When I asked Andrew what his favorite part of his first day of preschool was, he said, in the cutest, most innocent voice, "I didn't lie!" Well that's good to know!  There was a man walking behind us in the hallway who got a good laugh when Andrew said that.  Andrew has the same preschool teacher that Lizzy had last year, so I kind of know what to expect, etc.  When I asked him if he learned anything today he said, yeah, and left it at that.  Once we got back to the car I guess it hit him.  He said with a BIG HUGE GRIN, "Capital I. Little i.  I says i, as in Indian, I says i, i, i."  And being the sweet big sister that Lizzy is, she goes ahead and "one ups him".  Well I know that "Capital E. Little e.  E says e, as in Elephant.  E says e.e.e."  Andrews biggest complaint about school is that he has to take a nap with shoes on.  Remember that my kids like to sleep in their undies only!  This is going to be the biggest adjustment for him...well, second only to NOT TALKING ALL THE TIME, and oh yeah, also having to learn to wear is pants BELOW his belly button! - What's funny is that when he lifts his shirt up you now see about 2 1/2" of boxers - above the belly button!

Once we got home it pretty much went downhill all the way to the bottom. I ended the evening crying like a baby...blubbering something about "love languages"...and was so upset that I folded another load of laundry.  So I decided to BLOG!  And looking back over my day, I've decided that it WAS a GREAT day!

Goodnight!

More adventures to come!

Lizzy starts Kindergarten on Wednesday!