DANCE FEVER

The boys have been bugging to be in soccer for a year now. Unfortunately, I can't find any soccer, baseball, football leagues for under 4. Last year I tried gymnastics, but Jacob got hurt, and they just weren't ready. But today, we decided Malena was ready for dance classes. She LOVES to dance to songs in the car and on t.v. So we figured we'd throw the boys in for company. Both the boys were against it, until they saw their tap shoes. (It's tap and ballet. Real masculine, huh?) Once they got in there, they had a blast, and actually all three did very well. And Malena only wandered off twice. Of course it's enclosed, and I'm on the other side of the door, so she's not getting away! But I was impressed at how well she took directions and was able to do almost all of the dance steps! She is a born dancer!

When we got there, the class only had one other student. A cute little girl named Natalie, who's birthday was today! So the whole class is my three and Natalie. Two boys and two girls. I can't wait til the recital in June!


(please excuse the picture quality. They were taken with my picture phone. DH videographer, and Mommy photographer forgot our equipment at home!)

JACOB PRESCHOOL UPDATE

Well, today was the first day back at preschool after the long President's day weekend. I always tell the boys what we will be doing the following day when I put them to bed. I told them they would be going to school. This caused Jacob to go into a fit. He didn't want to go. I then had a long talk with him, and told him I would stay with him during the first part of school. So the next day, I stayed.

His day at school starts with the playground. On the playground, the entire school (ages 0-5, about 50 kids) are all on the playground. Even with me there, he began to cry and practically melt into my legs. He wanted to go back inside, so I decided that I would take him inside and try to find out what's going on. Though he was still VERY attached to me, he stopped crying. Another little boy was inside, too, and tried to play with Jacob, but Jacob would have nothing to do with him, and hid his face.

His teacher, Ms. Robin, arrived, and she suggested we go back outside, as class was going to begin soon. No sooner did we get outside, and Jacob was crying again. Ms. Robin tried, I tried, other children tried, but he was very upset. Then it was time to go in, and Ms. Robin assigned Jacob the "line leader." He still wasn't happy, but he stopped crying. Before they went in, I decided to go in and have a discussion about this with the direct, Ms. Cindy. After a very long conversation with Ms. Cindy, I went in to check on Jacob in his class, who were all coming into their class from "potty time". Jacob was in line going to class when he saw me. Oh darn, I thought. But he saw me, and he looked up and said, "Oh, that's my Mom. Hi Mom." No big deal! Back to the old, outgoing, happy, independent Jake I know and love. Then he said bye and went into his class with the other kids, as if he hadn't been freaking out for the past 45 minutes!

Obviously, this is a playground issue, though I can't get out of him, what. I'm not sure if it's a bully on the playground (I am thinking this may be part of it), or Jacob's Sensory issues (too overwhelming to have ALL those kids running around), or what. Ms. Cindy and I have decided that next school day, I will drop him off a little closer to class time, so he will have limited playground time. And it is just THIS playground, because he goes to the playground when I go to my gym, and he loves it! So I'm kind of leaning towards there being a bully amongst them. We'll figure this out for my poor baby. :(

JOSHUA POINDEXTER

Well, today was the day. We took Joshua to get his glasses. Doesn't he look handsome? I admit, I almost cried when they told me he needed glasses, even though I was forewarned six months ago. And even though I figured all my kids would need glasses at some point, because I am practically blind. I just didn't think it would be so young. :( But here he is, three years old, needing glasses. Fortunately, it's a very mild prescription for farsightedness and asitgmatism.

He was very excited to get them, and so far we have been very lucky, in that he actually LIKES wearing them, and hasn't really tried to take them off. Before the woman at the store put them on, she told Joshua the rules, that only Mommy and Daddy can take off his glasses. He seems to be abiding to those rules. Keep your fingers crossed, that all continues.

Jacob was a very good boy, waiting for Joshua to try on his new glasses while he played with the toys at the store. Malena was at school, but when she saw Joshua's glasses she pointed to them right away. Later, when Malena tried to grab Joshua's glasses, Jacob told her, "No Malena. Only Mommy and Daddy can take off Joshua's glasses." Oh boy! At least we know he was listening.

PROBLEM PRESCHOOL FOR JACOB

Jacob started pre-school off with a bang! He was so excited to have his very own school, and so happy to go every day. The first day, he could hardly wait to go inside. Well, he is now he opposite of that. He cries for days before he knows he will be going to school, and cries for an hour after I drop him off. He's turned from a very social, outgoing little boy, to very shy and withdrawn, not wanting to go anywhere, and not even wanting to go outside to play. It is so heartbreaking. I've asked him what is wrong, and I've gotten (by asking over and over) a couple things out of him. One is that another little friend hurt another little friend. Another one is that he doesn't like "the room with toys." and he wants to go to the other room with books and learning (he is currently in the 2 1/2 yr room, due to he is not yet potty trained), and also, he says he wants to be in with Miss Julie. His teacher is Miss Robin. Miss Julie does not have a class. I believe she is the director, but she did sub for Miss Robin once (actually, his first day). He also cries that he wants Joshua to stay with him. I'm not sure what's going on with him, but it's breaking my heart. I plan on talking with Miss Julie to try to get this sraightened out, and, perhaps, at least, get him in the 3 year old room. Perhaps, that would help.

SILLY

Here's the kids (mostly the boys who are feeling better) being silly with Mommy and Daddy.

'Tis the Season

No, not that season. The bad season. Sick season. I remember last year, the kids were pretty much sick from October through March, then came Joshua's surgery, then came Malena's surgery, and it wasn't until July/August 'til we were all well. Unfortunately, it seems this year is heading that way. I can't remember who was sick first, but we all got sick, then there was maybe a week of everyone starting to feel better. Then Josh got sick again, then Malena, then Jake, then Josh was well, then Jake was well. Now Malena's starting to get over it again, but now Josh is sick again! This is a big, never-ending circle. I clean, disinfect, but it's impossible with 3 constant runny noses (and other fluids) to keep up with.

Malena always seems to get it the worste (not surprising) and always seems to get weird breakouts on her face. This time she looks like she has two black eyes. And of course, her nose is raw from all the wiping. No medication stops this little girl's nose from running.



My poor little baby. I can't wait until summer so we can all be well!

IT'S OFF!

Jacob finally got his "Big Bandaid" off today! Yeah. Doctor said his finger is healed and will cause no more problems. Of course when the doctor came in to ask Jake how he was feeling, he got shy and hid his face in my shoulder. At first, he didn't want to take it off, but once it was off, he was happy. Then he didn't want to bend it, afraid that it would hurt. But once the doctor showed him he could bend it, he was amazed.

And no sooner was it off, then both the boys were at it again (not like the splint stopped them anyway). Uggghhhhhh! What's a Mom to do?

My Little Angel

Check out Malena's picture on the Band of Angels Website Gallery! Okay, so it wasn't that hard to get on the site. I just submitted a picture, but I'm so proud to share my gorgeous girl!

Somebody up there must not like me. Not a day after Alex left on his next business trip, and the kids are sick again! Ugggghhhh! This time it was Joshua who started it out with a fever, then Malena got croupe Sunday night with a slight fever. Now both Malena and Josh are fine, but Jake had a slight fever today. I swear, I don't think their schools even believe me anymore when I call in that they're sick again! Hopefully this won't wind up as bad as last time, and I don't get sick again, too!

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Just wanted to pop in and share the good news that Jacob's finger is NOT going to need surgery, or even a cast. The Orthopedic put on another splint, and said it should be healed in two weeks! Wow, these little guys heal fast. I think Jake may be more than a little shaken by the incident, as he had a hard time going back to school today. Screaming and crying and hanging onto my shirt for dear life, but I called a mere half hour later, and he was doing fine. And he was all smiles when we picke him up. Hopefully everything will start to get back to "normal" around here. Alex is due out again for another week on Saturday. Cross your fingers, this trip won't be as eventful as the last for me and the kids. :)

Got this from a friend (you know who you are Wendi!) Add yourself to my map!

WILL IT EVER END?!

Well, we are all finally getting over our strep, and Malena's horrible rash is starting to go away, and Daddy is due home tomorrow. Yeah! But no, wait. We need more drama, drama, drama.... so last night Jacob started screaming from the other room where he and Joshua were "playing". This scream sounded more than a "Mommy, he hit me scream." I could tell he meant it. I ran over and he was barely able to tell me he hurt his finger through the cries. I look at his finger and it is pink.

So I give him some Tylenol and cover it with an ice bag (frozen veggies), and calm down. He is so calmed down by bedtime (only 30 minutes later) I think the problems done with. But then I notice he won't let anyone touch it and he doesn't want to move it. I decided to wait the night to see how it looks. Mistake. He slept well (in my bed) until about elleven, then he would scream every time he moved, about every hour or so. So neither of us got any sleep. First thing in the morning, my sister watches the other two (thank you Julie! and Mom for watching them the day before so I could go to the doctor's for my strep) and we head to the ER. Well, turns out he DID BREAK IT! I was so shocked. He was such the little charmer. I didn't think I would get so much attention with just one kid. I'm used to it with all three there. Triplets gather so much attention, but even the tech had her friend come to meet the cute little boy! What a flirt!

So now he's all splinted up. He calls it his BIG bandaid, and he loves it. Did this make him any calmer? Did this make him careful and to play nicely? Heck no! The boys were at it all night long. We will be going into see the "advanced orthopedic" on Monday, and I'm thinking he may need a cast if it's going to make it through as long as he needs to have it on and not "get it dirty or wet" HA!

Alex is home tomorrow, so now I'm crossing my fingers they don't try to shove anymore drama into this week!

SICK SICK SICK....... and SICK

Never fails... I should've known. Every time Alex leaves for an extended business trip, the kids always get sick. It started with Malena, who got a fever last week, the very day Alex left. Then she got a light pink rash. Then Jacob got a fever, and Joshua followed that night. After Malena's rash got worse, I took them all to the doctor to find they all have strep throat!

The good news, is everyone is starting to feel a lot better, and Malena's rash is starting to subside. Bad news, is I decided to check with my doctor, and it seems I may have it too! So, we're all on antibiotics and should be all well and NOT contagious when Alex gets home. Yippee for him...

MY PRINCE CHARMING

Last night I tucked the boys in for bed, expecting the usual chaos of jumping around, wanting more stories, wanting water, every excuse in the book. Joshua wanted me to lay down with him, so I thought I would and ask him about his day. After a couple minutes of our little discussion, I said good night and he rolled over to sleep. Then he rolled back over and said, "Gunight Mom, I love you." and gave me a kiss and rolled back over. Too sweet. As if that wasn't enough to get my tears rolling, he then rolled over again as though he forgot something and added, "You my Best Friend." Ok, now I was in tears. He really knows how to turn on the charm sometimes. :)

MALENA HOUDINI

I went to pick Malena up from school today, and first thing, her teacher gives me this frantic look and says, "She got out today." She went on to say that Malena somehow got out of the classroom, and was brought back by another parent passing by. Apparently she wasn't gone for long, and her teacher was VERY apologetic. She said, "this has never happened to me before. I'm so sorry." She said it happened during potty time, when other children were leaving with two aids to the potty. Also, I guess two aids were out today, and one was a substitute. I just looked at her shocked, and told her, "I told you." At Malena's IEP, I made a BIG deal about her getting away, and that she's very sneaky and very quiet. They gave her a one on one aid for the playground, but I guess they didn't think she'd escape from the classroom. They were wrong. Never underestimate my little Houdini! I think they're all going to be her classroom one on one aids now! LOL

SCHOOL DAYS
Today was the first day of pre-school! Yeahhhh! So bittersweet. I am so happy they are growing up, but they are growing up! My babies!

Jacob and Joshua have been waiting for this day for a long time. They were so excited! They will all be going to their own school due to different needs. Malena and Joshua will each be going to schools in the school district. Malena will be going to the "4 day Rocket", and Joshua will be going to the "2 day Rocket" program. Malena will be going Monday through Thursday, and Joshua will be going Monday and Wednesday. Jacob is doing so well, and his sensory issues are not considered, so he was not elligible for the Rocket program. So he is attending a private pre-school on Monday and Wednesday.

Malena was the first one dropped off. I'm not sure she knew what was going on, but you wouldn't know it. She walked right in, put her backpack right in a cubby hole, and was off playing, without even looking back to tell Mommy bye. Sniff. Okay, that hurt my feelings a little bit, but I was so happy to see what a great job she did.



Jacob was next off, and he COULD NOT WAIT to get in to school. He was so excited when the teacher put his name on his own Cubby. When I walked him out to the playground, he turned to me and said, "Bye Mom, " as if he was thinking, "Okay, now you go Mom. Don't embarass me."..... more hurt feelings, but happy.


As I got back to the car with Joshua and Daddy, Joshua started getting upset, saying he wanted to stay at that school. Uh oh. Is he going to be my difficult one, I thought as we drove off to his school. As soon as he saw his very own school, he couldn't be happier. He happily met his teacher, and they were off. He does seem to need a little more direction than Jake, but he did great.

Josh was the last dropped off, but the first picked up. The teacher said he did great! He was so excited to show Mommy and Daddy his new fireman's hat he made, and tell us all about his day!

Next, we picked up Malena. Since the pickup times between the two is only 3 minutes, we were a few minutes late, so she was standing out front with the teacher. Her teacher, Mrs. Hamlet, said she had "one of the best first days I've ever seen." She was very attentive, and participated in circle time, and attempted every word they prompted. She was also attempting all the signs! Good girl! I'm so proud of you! Of course, as soon as she saw me, she said, "Ma!" and gave me a hug, then ran for the car. So I guess she had a good time, but was ready to go home!

Jake was last picked up (even though his school is closer to Joshua's). When I walked in, all the other little kids were asleep in their cots, but Jacob was on the floor reading books. He was so happy to see me, and ran right for me. His teacher said he did sooo great and was extremely friendly, and soo smart! I told her, he's quite a talker, and she said that even though he was new to the class, he was the only student who would answer all the questions. Every time she asked a question, she would just look at him to answer! :) Gosh, he's so much like Alex.

One by one, my three little ones ventured out of the nest on their own, and one by one, they all returned safely... So, I guess we all survived (especially Mommy :) ). In fact, it looks like they all did amazingly well, and I think it has so much to do with their previous school ICEC. I hope this all continues...

Malena and her ABC's

I've been impressed with Jacob for quite some time. He has known his ABC's for months now. Soon Joshua, also knew them, and they've both been driving me crazy with the ABC song every five minutes. So, I broke down and got them an ABC video game for Christmas. Of course, they were bored with it in five minutes and went on to other games. Well, I thought I'd introduce it to Malena, just for fun. This game lists several letters, and tells you to select the correct letter. Well, right off the bat, Malena chose the correct letter. Wow, good guess. Then she consecutively chose the correct letter for about five to eight times! Me and my sister, Alicia, cheering each time. Finally, she became bored with it, and stopped paying attention and just started playing around. So I thought this must be some weird fluke. So, I tried again the next day, with letter cards. Of course, the boys saw I was playing alone with Malena, and they couldn't let that happen. So Malena's first three tries at selecting the correct letter, she was correct. Then the boys started selecting, then then cards were everywhere, then Malena stopped selecting the correct letters and it was a big throw the cards game. Could it be that she really can identify her letters, or has this just been a big, lucky guessing game? Is Mommy out of her mind? Hmmmm..... The mystery continues...

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL

Well the kids birthday ended up also being their last day of school. I can't believe it, but I actually made it through without crying. Although I did get a little choked up at the goodbye song at closing circle. Malena did have a bit of senioritis and decided to throw herself on the ground and throw a fit halfway through the day, so maybe dealing with that helped me keep my emotions under control.

At the end of the day, right before closing circle, the boys were brought from the sibling room, and all three were sung happy birthday. Towards the end of the song, Malena decided she had heard enough singing (in her honor) and walked around her teacher to get the gift behind her. Then she pushed it to the front, where she decided to open it. I guess she had seen the end to this song and wanted to rush things up a bit. All three received their "graduation" backpacks and were all soooo happy. Each had a tag that said "I am a proud graduate of ICEC."

Thank you ICEC family. You have helped to bring my babies sooooo far in the past year and a half and have benefited not only them, but me as well. We will never have such a wonderful group of people who believe in my kids and me as much as you have! We are going to miss all of you!