here's the long one

Summer just seems to be speeding by. I know the first two weeks of June were crazy with activities and getting ready for Monkey Boy’s preschool graduation. The munchkin has class through the first week in August, so except for vacations and short trips we’re still keeping a schedule instead of freeforming our summer. He starts back up end of Aug when school starts for the district. He’ll stay with infants and toddlers until his birthday then moves to the early intervention program. So this fall instead of watching just my oldest get on the bus to go to school, I have to deal with watching my baby do the same thing three afternoons a week. Bleh, I tear up just thinking about it. I know it’s best for him but it’s so hard. And I know it’s good for me too. I mean I can safely say my baby fever is completely gone, mostly because I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Actual clumps of time to use as I wish. I’ve started to clean all the baby stuff and get it ready for consignment. The stuff like the changing table, that is damaged or was a hand-me-down to us will go to freecycle. Monkey Boy has decided he wishes to share a room with his little brother. So we’re going to repaint the guest room (which is the largest bedroom beside the mater bedroom) and move both boys in. I’ll take Monkey Boy’s room for my office and we’ll make the Munchkin’s room the new guest room. This also frees up space in the family room. Maybe we’ll set up a work/activity space there for the boys.

Let’s see we spent a week in Tenn at my dad’s lake house. I think this wet spring they (we all had) caused mold to grow in their house because all three males in my family were stuffed up while we were there and fine once we got on the road home. Ken was the worst, he developed a sinus infection. We also spent a few days at Rehobeth Beach while my mom was down last week. The boys loved the giant sand box, not so in love with the ocean itself yet. I’ll come I hope. I remember growing up the week we spent in Ocean City every summer was the highlight. I think my mom and aunts had to make us, my sister, cousins and I, come out of the water every day at 4 pm. We’d be in there from the time we hit the beach after breakfast until it was time to go up and shower and change for dinner, with a brief break for lunch.

We were supposed to have one more trip this summer. This one was suppose to be for Disney. But Ken has a business trip that overlaps the end of our Orlando trip. So we’ve post poned until April next year. Well the other problem was the vacation club resort thing we were taking this trip on changed their income requirements for the Orlando resort. So our choice at this point is to flush two hundred down the drain or take a trip to Myrtle Beach. We’ll probably end up losing the money because I think our Deep Creek Lake family reunion is next summer. The kids won’t be out of school until mid June and we go to my dad’s for a week end of June/ early July. Unless its’ a short trip I just feel three week long trips a summer is a bit much. Anyway with the Disney trip postponed I’ll take the boys up to see my mom while Ken is on his business trip. That’s always good for fall clothes shopping anyway.

The munchkin is just amazing me with his gains in comprehension and motor skill development. He now actually participates in several song games like Happy and You Know it with out prompting for any of the actions. I can hear him humming/singing along too even if he has no words he’s carrying a tune. He’s starting to do more imaginative play with the little people farm animals. When Monkey Boy gets the art supplies out he joins us and at least tries for 5-10 minutes. I knew this was coming just didn’t expect it so soon after the move to the toddler bed but he figured out how to turn the door handle. The other morning I could tell he wasn’t feeling well but I couldn’t really figure out what hurt. While we were up in his room I had asked him what hurt and touched his forehead and nose. No real reaction except to turn his head away. We go down stairs and he was doing his ahahahah whine/cry he uses when he isn’t feeling well. Then he took my hand put it on his ear, then put it on his head and finally put it on the side of his neck. He was telling me where is hurt. With his new awareness he has become very clingy with me. I sometimes can’t even leave the room with out him either crying or following me. I mean it’s good, it’s just something I expected to deal with 18 months ago or so. His teacher said once we come back end of August until October when he starts early intervention we’ll start doing some separation exercises in class. I’ll drop him off and go get coffee or visit the library instead of staying and participating like I do right now.

Monkey Boy has been putting much more effort in trying to be center of attention. I guess he’s really noticing the concentration of other people working with the Munchkin. I try and spend time doing things alone with both boys but I find A. really interferes when I’m trying to work with Q, so Q is getting short changed by both me and Ken. It’s actually been an issue the one day a week he joins us at the Munchkin’s class. He doesn’t do this when he’s at school. His teachers have said he is polite and helpful, if a little sensitive. But he never acts out when he doesn’t get his way. When he’s with us at Q’s class that is exactly what he does and it is very disruptive. It’s hard enough for some of the moms, as their kids already have behavior issues with out my normally helpful older son having a temper tantrum because he didn’t get to pick a song at circle time. We have talked to him about this several time. Even the teachers at the program have talked to him. Well just two more weeks. He’ll start full day Kindergarten before Q’s class starts back up.

We’re now in the process of determining if Q has an allergy to corn or if it’s something more along the lines of celiac disease, with the problem being corn instead of gluten. Celiac does run in my family. My mom and at least one of my aunts has it. So to me it’s not outside the realm of possibility that something similar is possible with corn. I already make an effort to mostly shop only the edges of the grocery store. It amazes me beyond belief how many things have high fructose corn syrup in them. I don’t always have time to make my own snack foods. Thank goodness for goldfish. But boy does reading labels slow shopping down.
Ken’s computer has finally died after six years. And after years of always getting custom built systems he’s decided to just customize either and HP or a Dell. Just trying options to see which will get us the better deal. So I’ve had that to deal with along with the full page list I was given by Monkey Boy’s school of supplies he needs for the first day of school.