No More Training Wheels for J & A!

For months, Jack has been excited to learn to ride his bike without training wheels.  I took them off a couple of months ago and we practiced a bit, but the weather was cold and inconsistent so not much was accomplished.  With the weather finally becoming warm, we were able to try again.  I held the seat of his bike while he pedaled excitedly down the sidewalk.  However, as soon as I let go, he would immediately turn into the grass and fall.  He rarely made it more than a few feet.

But, he was a great sport.  Every time he fell, he would immediately, say, "don't worry--I'm okay!" and get right back on the bike.  I was very pleased with his can-do attitude.  After an hour or so, I thought that maybe moving to the street would cure him of turning into the grass, which I assumed he was doing out of fear.  So, we moved to the street.  However, he continued turning the wheel, only now there was no soft grass to fall into.  Finally, I realized that it wasn't intentional--there was just too much to concentrate on; it was hard for him to remember to pedal fast, keep his balance, and maintain the steering.  With this realization, I changed my strategy and jogged along side him for a bit, turning his wheel when he started to stray and then...it was done.  He was riding his bike as if he had done it for years.  It was a triumphant moment (for both of us).

Not one to be left out, Anna decided she was ready to have her training wheels removed.  I was not as confident that she was ready, but who am I to thwart progress?  I took her wheels off and we started on the sidewalks again to determine how ready she was.  She had the same issues as Jack, but after she started to turn, she would make squealing, gasping noises and put her foot down to avoid falling.  I hate to say it, but the noises were irritating.  It was a stark contrast to Jack's stoicism.  She was much more easily frustrated, but to her credit, she was also equally determined.  I realized that my annoyance at her reactions were impeding the progress and implored myself to do better.  We moved to the street and I discovered that Anna had perfect balance!  She did not need me to steady her, she just needed my help to get her started and then she was off and running, err riding.  She was scared of the grates in the road (storm drain coverings) and kept begging me to keep her away from the "graves".  However, within an hour, she was also expertly riding down the street (minus turns, which took a bit longer).  She is still working on being able to start herself off, but she managed to learn to ride a bike pretty well in the span of an hour or so and I am not sure she ever even hit the ground!

The pictures were taken on day 2, on day 1, I made them wear jeans to protect from the falls.

Swim Lessons and Dance Recital 2013

On Monday we began our third year of swim lessons.  The previous summers we have had the kids enrolled at the base.  Their first year, they had a great instructor.  Last year, it was so-so (mostly so).  Essentially, they didn't learn anything.  They gained some comfort with the water, but I think that would happen if I just brought them to a pool every day for 2 weeks.  But, this year I have high hopes.  Jack taught himself to dog paddle during our week in Florida and I enrolled him in a higher level this year.  After his first week, I already see some improvement and I think with one more session, he'll be pretty adept.  After her first week, Kara can now swim under water and Anna is not far behind.  Another sign that our kids are growing up.  Hopefully, we can find time to go to a pool this summer to make sure they get lots of practice.  (I'll get a picture of Jack next week.)

Kara

Anna

Saturday, was the culmination of another year of dance lessons.  This year all three kids took a class on Saturday mornings.  Normally, I would never give up a Saturday (at least not every Saturday for 9 months), but with Thomas gone, it seemed like it would be a good way to mark the time.  The weekends were particularly long without him here, so it was nice to have the distraction.

The kids had their dress rehearsal on Friday.  Jack was in a boy's tap class and they did a Transformers routine.  He has tolerated the class, which consisted of him and one other boy (Eli) whose sister also takes lessons at the studio.  During the rehearsal Jack had this awful look on his face and kept waving his arm angrily.  We weren't sure whether that was part of the routine, but afterward he said, "didn't you see me telling you not to take my picture!?!?"  During the recital, he did a fabulous job and refrained from angry gestures (maybe because we weren't allowed to take pictures?).  I was impressed with how well he did the routine and followed the instructor.

The girls were in a class together, a tap/ballet combo.  Anna has improved a lot this year.  She smiled during the routine and did a great job remembering the routine.  She had a fantastic attitude about everything and really seemed to enjoy taking the class.

Kara did not really enjoy dance and didn't particularly want to be in the recital.  We told her that after the recital she would never have to dance again and she seemed to find that a good compromise.  She also did a good job following the instructor and seemed to know the steps.  We were very proud of all the kids.  I admired their ability to get on stage in front of a crowded audience.  After the recital, all three told us they want to keep dancing (before the recital, only Anna said she wanted to take lessons again next year).  I am sure that will change a dozen times before the fall (we're definitely taking a break this summer).

Regarding the pictures, I took tons during the rehearsal.  Some would have been very cute, but they are super blurry.  I have come to the conclusion that it isn't me, it's time for a new camera.

Last year, Anna took lessons at Dreams Studio of Dance in Mechanicsville. There were a lot of things I liked about that studio--they had cameras in the waiting area so you could see what they were doing in class each week and it was very professionally run.  In fact, one of the things I disliked was that it was a little too professional.  There were a lot of rules and it was very rigid, especially when it came to the recital.  My biggest problem was probably with the recital.  It was very expensive in terms of tickets and costumes.  And, it was over 3 hours long!  Anna had to be there for 3 nights in a row (one night of rehearsal and two for the show) and it was too much for a 4-year-old (tack in an hour of driving too).  However, my biggest complaint was that I did not find it age appropriate.  There were routines where they actually had to bleep out lyrics.  In my opinion (and, I know I stated this last year in my blog), if you have to bleep something out, it's not music you should be using for kids.  If we hadn't moved, we may have stayed there, mainly because it was so convenient.  Although they increased their prices by about 25%, so with 3 kids interested, maybe we would have driven to another studio even if we hadn't moved.

At the current studio (St. Mary's Dance Academy) it is a much more laid-back.  It is a new studio; this is only their second year.  They didn't care what the kids wore and didn't give you a hard time for missing a class.  And, it was much less expensive than Dreams.  They had a class that included both Anna and Kara's age group that coincided with the boys tap.  That was the main reason we chose them.  My biggest complaints were some of the teachers seemed young and inexperienced and the girls' class was too big.  There is one teacher who had some routines that I thought were fabulous.  If we stay there, it will only be if she teaches a class that coincides with our schedule.  There was another teacher who taught a routine that was so bad that if my child had been in that class, we would have left and never looked back.  I may have even demanded a refund for a year of wasted money.  It was that bad.  Our class was somewhere in between (closer to fabulous than awful) and I am not unhappy.  I think it was a positive experience for the kids.  The things I most appreciated: good prices for everything (recital fees, costumes, lessons, video, etc.) and the recital showcased age-appropriate routines, costumes and music.

Hmm, I am not sure why I went off on that tangent.  Overall, I would say the year was a success.  I loved seeing the kids dance and I was so proud of them.  I think it is great that kids have the opportunity to go on stage and perform.  I also like that it is a cumulative activity.  They go all year to these classes that build up to a big recital, then they get to show off what they have learned.  They get a trophy and it's a big deal.  I hope they continue.

Anna just walked up and asked what I was doing.  I told her I was writing about their recital and asked if she wanted to say anything.  Below are direct quotes:

Anna:  I liked it and I'm going to keep dancing until I get really good at it.  I really liked it.  It's my favorite thing to do. I'm clearly sure that my sister liked it.  That's all I'd like to say...  Oh.  Bye.  Anna Wilson.

Kara:  I liked doing dance and I haven't figured out if I want to do it again.  (Long pause, so I asked her if she liked being on stage.) I want to do dance again and be on stage again.  I like all the songs.  So, can I do it again as many times as I want?  My name is Kare bear... what's my whole name again? (Anna answered)   My name is Kara Wilson.  I'm going to do dance again next year and be on stage.  That's all.  Bye.

Pre-K Promotion

On Monday, Jack and Anna celebrated the completion of pre-kindergarten.  They had a ceremony with the morning classes that was well-attended.  Thomas took the morning off from work and we were among the last ones there and thus relegated to the back row.  Of course, most people moved to the aisles for picture-taking, so that proved relatively inconsequential.

They marched the kids in and arranged them in 3 rows.  Jack was in the back row and Anna was in the middle.  There were small risers behind them, but for some reason, they weren't used.  Maybe a practice mishap?  Regardless, at times it was hard to see our kids as they performed their songs.  But, I am getting ahead of myself.  We started with the Pledge of Allegiance, which all the kids seemed proud to recite.  From there, it was Say Hello, the Wheels on the Bus, Five Little Monkeys, and my personal favorite--Slippery Fish.  Everyone sang loudly and it was cute.

Then, they called each child's name and had them walk over a little bridge.  I assume the bridge was symbolic, but when I asked the kids, Anna said it was so they could show they were ready for kindergarten by how well they listened and so their parents could take pictures. Take pictures they (we) did!  They called each child's name individually, one of the teachers found the kid in the crowd while everyone clapped.  Then, the child paused on top of the bridge while the parent came and took a picture.  Then, we all clapped again and moved on to the next child.  It seemed to take a really long time.  But, it was nice to get the opportunity for a picture.  And, I am sure it felt longer than it really was.

After the ceremony, with little sis

After that, they had cupcakes and then the kids showed us around their classroom and collected their supplies and final report card.  Both did well and their teacher indicated they are ready for kindergarten (I imagine you can't get held back in pre-k).  It was fun to see their "journals".  They both had some pretty good drawings in there.  My favorites are probably Jack's subway and Anna's chickens.

It's certainly not his neatest work and he can color much better, but I like the detail of above and below the street.

We said goodbye to their teachers, who did not appear at all sentimental over the experience.  I am sure they were just relieved.  From there, we let Jack and Anna choose where to go to lunch.  Fortunately, they agreed and we were off to Red Robin.  When we got there I took Anna to the bathroom.  She was washing her hands and looked and me and said, "Mom, I kind of feel a little bit grown-up today."  When we got home, Jack and Anna decided to teach Kara everything they know so that she would be ready for pre-k in the Fall.  Kara lasted about 30 minutes, which is much longer than I would have predicted.  In fact, the whole day was pretty rough for Kara.  She wasn't happy that Anna was wearing a new dress and that I wouldn't let her wear her fancy Christmas dress.  There was a lot she wasn't happy about.  We understood that she felt left out, but it was still a pretty trying morning.  Thankfully, she bounced out of it and was good during the ceremony.

Everyone keeps telling me how fast the time goes by.  I agree that the days are long, but the years are short.  I am amazed at how much they can do now and how independent they are becoming.  I love watching them grow and remain proud to be their mother.

The Bad and Ugly

What I prefer to share on this blog is the good.  Those happy days when children are kind and well-behaved and life is idyllic.  However, sometimes I am so overwhelmed by a bad day, that I feel I have no choice but to share.  I am hoping that this makes our blog a more well-balanced portrayal of what life is really like in our house; something the kids can read one day with a fond recollection, smiling at both the happy memories and those depicting the less pleasant events that are far enough removed from time to be thought of with a smile.

Back to the matter at hand.  Yesterday was one of those bad days.  Jack got sent to the principal.  Again.  He mooned someone in the lunchroom.  Why you may ask?  "I was just trying to be silly," was the response I received.  I imagine we avoided suspension only because there is just one day of school left.  I consider us lucky.

Funny, without even thinking, I am using the terms "we" and "us."  As you might surmise, I have taken this event rather personally.  I just don't understand.  Between my 2 pre-k'ers, we (there it is again) have had 2 trips to the principal and 3 visits with the guidance counselor.  The other principal visit was Jack running around with some other boys pretending they had guns.  The counselor visits were for rudeness (Anna), meanness (Anna), and anger/frustration (Jack).

I just don't understand what we are doing wrong.  I wish I had not quit working, because I can only blame myself.  At least if they were in daycare, there would be some outside influences I could hang my hat on.  Speaking of which, I have no idea where he got the idea to drop his pants.  I can think of a scene in Robots that all the kids think is hilarious, but there is nothing exposed, just a bottom-shaking and a "nyah, nyah."

When I was younger, I wanted 5 children.  I thought I would be a great parent.  I imagined my children as thoughtful, smart and well-behaved.  Oh, the adventures we'd have!  Now, all I can hope is that we make it through a day without assaultive or embarrassing behavior.

When Thomas was gone, Jack had a terrible time.  He had screaming, destructive tantrums that sometimes lasted more than an hour (multiple times a week).  Thank goodness that behavior has stopped.  But now we are dealing with his lack of impulse control.  Besides being silly, he also tends to be physically aggressive.  Most of the time, it is because he plays too rough.  Less often, it is because he is just mad.  Today, at Chick-Fil-A, he was playing too rough with a girl and it ended up with her on the ground and very upset (I was already on my way to intervene when it reached that point).  We immediately pulled him out of the play area and told him he wouldn't be allowed to return.  We also didn't allow him to get an ice cream cone.  We then sat and talked about making good choices, keeping hands to self, etc.  We went from Chick-Fil-A directly to school. As Jack got out of the car, another kid started racing him to be the line leader.  Jack lost and immediately shoved the other kid.

I used to think that we were good parents (not great like I thought I would be, but not bad either).  I thought I had a good balance of when to react and when to ignore.  Now, I am not so sure.  I hope that he matures out of this behavior.  I hope one day we read this and think, "I can't believe our sweet son ever had trouble with his temper.  I can't imagine him hitting anyone!"

Any thoughts, suggestions, stories from anyone whose been through this are appreciated!

Deja Vu on Memorial Day!

We did not have a super exciting Memorial Day weekend.  In fact, it was only last week and I can't really recall what we did on Saturday and Sunday.  Monday, we decided to go to George Washington's Birthplace.  The kids got their first Ranger books and were excited to complete the tasks.  Their reward was a little ranger badge.  This was our second visit to G.W.'s birthplace.  We went sometime in 2012, but couldn't recall exactly when.  This time, the kids were much more willing to explore and we did a lot of walking.

They had a bridge opened that led to an additional trail and picnic area.  There were two pathways and the kids wanted to go in separate directions.  I assumed it would be a loop.  It quickly became clear that it wasn't (at least not in an obvious way) and we spent about 20 minutes searching for each other.  Fortunately, it was a beautiful day and we were happy to be outside.

Taking their park ranger oath before receipt of badges

After that, we headed to lunch at Hornes.  By the time we ate, it was around 2:00.  I seemed to recall that we enjoyed the experience last time, but we weren't impressed this year.  The service was fine, the food was just not very good (and, our expectations for a roadside stop are not exceedingly high).  But, it was a very fun day.

That night, I was laying in bed and reading through my previous Memorial Day blogs to see what we had done the past couple of years.  I was surprised to see that on Memorial Day last year, we went to GW's birthplace and Horne's.  It was exactly a year ago to the day!  And, and this is where it gets freaky--Jack was wearing the exact same outfit!  I wish I had taken a picture of just him sitting on the bench.  Maybe in 2014.

Taken from my 2012 blog.