Aedan: 32 Months, Week 2
Tuesday, January 3rd was Samantha's first day back to school after almost two weeks off for Christmas break. She was ready and excited to get back to her teacher, her friends, and her routine. In fact, the couple days right before school started, she just wanted to play school with Aedan, so you could tell she was looking forward to being back..
Since I was still in Aurora staying with Christy and helping her, I had to live vicariously through Ben to keep up to date on what was happening with the kids. Here's another comment he made: "Nothing is quite as cute as hearing your kindergartner read a Mo Willems book to your two and a half year old with the same silly inflections you use. It's much cuter on Samantha than it is on me."
Here's Aedan wearing his new Larry Boy t-shirt he got for Christmas from Aunt Jeni. As soon as it's clean, he wants to wear it again.
After playing for awhile, it was time for Aedan to get his hair cut. It probably should have been cut before Christmas, but we didn't, and it got really long while we were out of town. Ben had never taken Aedan to get his hair cut before, so he thought he was so cute sitting in the chair all by himself like a big boy. He does a really good job, sits pretty still, and only feels a little tickled when they use the razor.
After the hair cut, Ben had to stop at the animal shelter to get Roscoe registered. We have never had our dog registered in any place that we lived, but they require it here in order to be licensed foster parents. It was only $10, but it was more just the hassle of getting the vaccination records and going into the shelter. Apparently the lady that worked there gave Ben a really hard time about not having the proper documentation. Ben then tried to take that paperwork into the DHHS office because it was the last thing Lauri needed to get our paperwork finished, but he arrived when they had already closed for lunch. He had a busy, somewhat frustrating morning running around town, so I contacted Lauri to see if she could just stop by and get the paperwork from us, rather than making Ben go back out with the kids again.
The other interesting development on Tuesday was an email I received from Bahweting, offering me the position for the kindergarten paraprofessional. Since I wasn't willing to commit beyond the end of this school year, they wanted to hire me as a substitute paraprofessional rather than a permanent paraprofessional. The school and all employees have to go through several steps to become a staff member, like everything a typical public school requires, as well as BIE/Department of the Interior systems clearance, and more. They didn't really think it would be fair or make sense to put everyone through that when I am not certain of my future intentions. That made sense to me as well, especially since I am only considering this position as a short-term way to get in the classroom and help, as well as make money for my family, but knowing that I am not ready to go back to work full time yet. The only issue with hiring me like that could be the pay they would give me because if I was only making the paraprofessional substitute rate, then it wouldn't make it worthwhile for me to work there and pay for childcare for Aedan. The other wrench in the plan was that they would not allow me to be placed in Samantha's classroom because it is a school policy that they have followed for years, and it would cause inequity among staff who were not granted this same request, which I totally understood. So then in addition to figuring out how much they would pay me, I would need to figure out where they would place me. If I was placed in Mr. McBride's class, then his para would be moved to Ms. Cornwell's class, which I knew neither of them would like. If I was placed in Ms. Cornwell's class, then Samantha would have to be moved to Mr. McBride's class, which we just weren't sure about. We didn't want to make Samantha have to move in order to accommodate the preferences of adults. Samantha talks about how much she likes Mr. McBride, but I know she would miss her friends and Ms. Cornwell, too. There was a lot to think about and consider. I tried calling the school back that morning, but just left a message with the HR lady, so then it was just waiting for her to call me back.
The other issue we had to figure out quickly is what we would do for childcare for Aedan. We talked to Miss Lisa and visited with her before Christmas, so that option was still open, but it made it a little more complicated having to drive out to her house, meaning Aedan would have to be dropped off earlier in the morning since we only have one car. There was also a preschool on campus that I had heard good things about that we wanted to check out. Ben called and talked to them, and he had plans to go visit the preschool on Tuesday afternoon. The campus preschool would be more expensive, but it would be more convenient since it was right on campus and Ben could just drop him off on his way to his office in the morning.
Aedan has been fighting his naps a lot more lately, and that was definitely the case when Ben was alone with the kids. He fell asleep in his arms again on Tuesday afternoon, but then he just woke right back up again after laying him down. Ben said that he went back in and told him to go to sleep. He was quiet but still awake and ended up not ever napping. Ben even had a recording of him talking about Woody and Buzz. Also, one time when Ben walked in, Aedan said, "Daddy losing his patience..." in a really cute way, copying what he has heard Daddy say. :) I felt bad leaving Ben for so long to take care of the kids on his own. He was doing fine, but it's certainly a lot more work and a lot less enjoyable than when both of us are there taking care of things together.
Ben got a jar of cookie mix from his colleague at work, so on Tuesday evening, once Samantha got home from school, they made cookies together. Both kids enjoyed helping Daddy mix them together and then watched them baking in the oven.
The other issue we had to figure out quickly is what we would do for childcare for Aedan. We talked to Miss Lisa and visited with her before Christmas, so that option was still open, but it made it a little more complicated having to drive out to her house, meaning Aedan would have to be dropped off earlier in the morning since we only have one car. There was also a preschool on campus that I had heard good things about that we wanted to check out. Ben called and talked to them, and he had plans to go visit the preschool on Tuesday afternoon. The campus preschool would be more expensive, but it would be more convenient since it was right on campus and Ben could just drop him off on his way to his office in the morning.
Aedan has been fighting his naps a lot more lately, and that was definitely the case when Ben was alone with the kids. He fell asleep in his arms again on Tuesday afternoon, but then he just woke right back up again after laying him down. Ben said that he went back in and told him to go to sleep. He was quiet but still awake and ended up not ever napping. Ben even had a recording of him talking about Woody and Buzz. Also, one time when Ben walked in, Aedan said, "Daddy losing his patience..." in a really cute way, copying what he has heard Daddy say. :) I felt bad leaving Ben for so long to take care of the kids on his own. He was doing fine, but it's certainly a lot more work and a lot less enjoyable than when both of us are there taking care of things together.
Ben got a jar of cookie mix from his colleague at work, so on Tuesday evening, once Samantha got home from school, they made cookies together. Both kids enjoyed helping Daddy mix them together and then watched them baking in the oven.
While Ben was hanging out with the kids, I was hanging out with Brielle and Oliver in Aurora. I took a picture of Brielle with her Frozen sled that the kids picked out for her for Christmas. Brielle loved this toy and played with it every day while I was there. It seemed like it was definitely her favorite toy from this Christmas. She really likes to play with play-doh. This was in the evening just before bed. I love her crazy curls, and it was fun spending more time with her and getting to know my niece better.
On Wednesday morning, Ben sent me a message saying that both kids talked about missing mommy. Ben said, "We all do..." There was a winter storm going through the U.P on Wednesday into Thursday, which made me really nervous about my flight out on Wednesday evening. I hoped it wouldn't get cancelled or delayed, and I hoped that Ben would be able to pick me up safely from the airport that evening. It was bitter cold in the Chicago area, just like it was in the U.P., but there was no snow to deal with in Chicago. Here is a video Ben sent me of the weather outside our house that morning.
I hadn't heard back from the HR lady on Wednesday, so I called them back and left another message. I knew they wanted to hire someone as soon as possible, so I did my best to get in touch with them.
Ben told me that Aedan was super whiny on Wednesday, hungry and whiny. He ate half a bagel and a banana for breakfast, a cheese stick, and then three helpings of mac and cheese for lunch. We have been wondering if he is growing lately because he has been eating more than usual and is always talking about being hungry or wondering what we're going to have for our next meal.
After getting a call back from Bahweting about the job and how much they'd be able to pay me, Ben crunched some numbers and we decided that putting Aedan with Miss Lisa would be the best decision financially, especially considering he will only need care for 3 1/2 months, until Ben is done teaching for the semester. Aedan was comfortable at Miss Lisa's house, and it is a more intimate, home environment, rather than a preschool with more kids. We felt like Aedan would get more one-on-one attention with Miss Lisa, and she was more accommodating to us as far as being comfortable using cloth diapers, helping him get adjusted to nap time there, and also would feed him breakfast, lunch, and snack, meaning we wouldn't have to send any food with him. I was a little unsure about making the decision to go back to work just because it would be such a huge change in our weekly routine, but having an extra $6500 in our bank account for working just for the rest of the year would be really nice to help us save money again for future expenses.
Because of the weather on Wednesday, Bahweting sent the kids home early. Samantha got out at 12:30 so that all the buses could get the kids home safely. Aedan was a stinker again that afternoon for Ben, falling asleep as he rocked him in his arms and then waking up as soon as he stood up. However, Ben went back in his room awhile later and "quasi-yelled" at him, and after that he thought he may have gone to sleep. All of this drama with getting Aedan to sleep made me a little nervous about how he would do with nap time at Miss Lisa's house. He would be one of five other kids, and possibly share a room with another child, and I wondered how in the world he would ever nap there. He would be sleeping in a toddler bed, which he has never done before, and Miss Lisa would not be able to do all the individual things we do with Aedan in order to get him to sleep. Aedan is used to sleeping in a quiet, dark room by himself. However, with how much he's been fighting naps at home, it's not like he's been sleeping at home either, so in some ways I felt relieved in thinking about not fighting that battle with him every day. We were spoiled with Aedan being such a good napper and sleeper for so long, and now it's hard that his personality is changing some in that regard.
Apparently Aedan only napped for fifteen minutes that Wednesday for Ben, and then was crying really hard because he was pooping. Ben tried to get him to the potty, but it was already too late, so then Ben just let the kids start playing together instead of putting Aedan back to bed again.
In Aurora that morning, I got myself packed up, got showered and ready, and then we all took a trip to the library to get Brielle out of the house for a little while. We didn't get there until around noon, so we didn't spend too long there before heading back to the house for lunch and nap time for Brielle. Matthew's brother and his family came over to visit and see Oliver, so they were busying talking when mom and dad showed up to take me to the airport. It was forty-five minutes to get to the airport, but we left in plenty of time for me to get through security and find my gate. I didn't have to check any bag, which also made the whole process easier. I was glad to be heading back home. I missed Ben and the kids, and I had been gone for two weeks total, so I was ready to be back in my own house and bed as well.
Once at the gate, I was able to FaceTime with Ben and the kids and show them that I was sitting in the airport. You could tell that they had all had enough. Ben was tired of "adulting" and the kids were both tired, cranky, and freaking out for no reason. In fact, that night for dinner Aedan refused to eat for Ben. He told Aedan he could go lay down in the hallway or sit at the table, and he chose to go lay down in the hallway. He just kept saying "no want to" over and over again. Ben said he wasn't being mean, and that he told him several times that his food was right there waiting for him, but he didn't want to get up and sit down for dinner. After dinner was over and Ben was cleaning up the dishes, Aedan decided he was hungry again at 6:45 and then ate two helpings of chicken, salad, pears, and green beans. So apparently he was hungry, but he was just in a bad mood when it was time to eat. I wondered if maybe the not napping was catching up to him and just making him too tired to think about his behavior.
Once at the gate, I was able to FaceTime with Ben and the kids and show them that I was sitting in the airport. You could tell that they had all had enough. Ben was tired of "adulting" and the kids were both tired, cranky, and freaking out for no reason. In fact, that night for dinner Aedan refused to eat for Ben. He told Aedan he could go lay down in the hallway or sit at the table, and he chose to go lay down in the hallway. He just kept saying "no want to" over and over again. Ben said he wasn't being mean, and that he told him several times that his food was right there waiting for him, but he didn't want to get up and sit down for dinner. After dinner was over and Ben was cleaning up the dishes, Aedan decided he was hungry again at 6:45 and then ate two helpings of chicken, salad, pears, and green beans. So apparently he was hungry, but he was just in a bad mood when it was time to eat. I wondered if maybe the not napping was catching up to him and just making him too tired to think about his behavior.
My flight from Chicago to Detroit was fine. I ate dinner on the plane and sat next to a man that decided he could invade my personal space. He had his knees spread way out and kept bumping into me with his right elbow. It was not an enjoyable ride. Plane seats are not big enough as they are, and then to have someone taking up some of your space, that makes it even worse. I was glad to get off that plane. Ben told me that the early afternoon flight from Detroit to Sault Ste. Marie was cancelled, so he hoped that my flight would take off that night. It would stink to be stranded in Detroit for the night, when all I wanted to do was get back home. Once I got on the plane to Sault Ste. Marie, the pilot announced about how they would try to land but would have to see if they could see the runway to land safely. If they couldn't land safely, we would either go back to Green Bay or back to Detroit. They took more fuel on board in case they couldn't land and had to turn around. If we went back to Detroit, we would stay the night and try flying out again tomorrow. If we went to Green Bay, we would basically sit on the plane until the snow cleared enough for us to try flying back and landing again. We sat for awhile as they got volunteers to get off the plane to balance the weight of the extra fuel, and then we had to stop to get de-iced before taking off. When we got near Sault Ste. Marie and began to descend, everyone was hopeful. In fact, when the wheels touched down, everyone cheered and clapped. Everyone was relieved to reach their destination, some after waiting at the Detroit airport since earlier that afternoon. Ben met me at the airport, while our neighbor across the street sat in our house while the kids slept. It was so good to see Ben again, and I almost forgot what our house looked like and smelled like before I walked in. There's no place like home with my family.
Early Thursday morning, before our alarms were set to go off, we got a call from Bahweting saying that school was cancelled due to the snow. Ben and I were both very excited, turning off our alarms and going back to sleep. When the kids woke up that morning, I turned off their monitors and went upstairs to get them up and be with them so that Ben could sleep in. It has been a long few days for him, and he deserved to get some extra rest. I was so excited to see them, and they were excited to see me. We had fun playing together, and then I made waffles. It was perfect having a snow day so that I could have an extra day to be with my little kids. Ben ended up hanging out at home for the day as well. He offered to go grocery shopping for us in the morning, so that I didn't have to drag both kids out to do it. We did end up taking the kids to McDonald's for lunch and time to play. It's the only indoor place to play around here, and the kids enjoy it. Plus, it gave Ben and me a chance to talk and catch up with each other.
Once we got back home, I put Aedan down for his nap, and even though Ben didn't have much success getting Aedan to sleep, he fell asleep in my arms and I was able to lay him down and he stayed asleep. I switched his bed to be more like a big boy bed by taking off the thick bumper pads and even putting his new sheet and blanket on his bed that he got from Chicago Grandpa and Grandma for Christmas, rather than putting him in a wrap. He opened his eyes slightly when I laid him down and started to say, "Mommy...Mommy" so I left my hand on his back and he closed his eyes and fell right back asleep after that. I also got a Woody and Buzz sticker chart out and told him that every day he takes a nap, he will get a sticker. I figured I might as well try these things and see if I could get him to start napping again. He ended up taking a normal nap, and it might have just been a fluke, but I was glad he at least took a nap that day. Here are some cute pictures of my little guy sleeping that afternoon.
Here are Samantha and Aedan (and Roscoe) sitting on the couch watching a show after nap time that day. I love how they sit close and snuggle up with each other.
The rest of the day went well just hanging out at home, having leftovers since neither of us felt like cooking, and then trying to get ourselves to bed earlier in preparation for next week when I go back to work and we all have to be out the door by 7:30. In order to be able to get up earlier in the morning, I need to make sure I'm going to bed earlier at night so that I get enough rest.
On Friday Samantha went back to school and Ben went to work on campus in preparation for the semester starting on Monday. Aedan and I had a few errands to run after dropping Samantha off at school, like dropping some checks off at the bank and stopping by Miss Lisa's to turn in our paperwork for Aedan starting on Monday. When we were at Miss Lisa's, I enjoyed just watching Aedan play and interact with the other kids. He made himself right at home. I was able to see where Aedan would be sleeping, and for some reason I got all emotional when thinking about leaving Aedan there next week. It's not that I didn't want to work. I just felt like it was so sudden, and with big decisions like this, I always feel unsure. I think I was just nervous about how crazy and busy it would make me feel working full time and still taking care of the kids and the house. I didn't want to make Ben feel more stressed out and like he didn't have enough time to get work done because I was working full time. Plus, I was nervous about Aedan being watched by someone and possibly not napping anymore, and just not being with one of us, even though I knew he would be fine. Then, there was also a selfish part of me that realized I wouldn't have any time to myself, no quiet afternoons to get things done, no down time with just Aedan, and no time to do MOPS or meet people, evn though I know all of this is just for the semester. But than all of those thoughts conflicted with how I liked the idea of making money for the family and making paying our bills and saving up for the future easier. Plus, if I don't take the job, Samantha's class wouldn't have any consistent help, meaning her education would suffer. So, I had lots of conflicting thoughts floating around in my head.
After our time at Miss Lisa's, I took Aedan to Jump U.P. since I normally have subbed on Fridays and don't usually have a chance to take him there. I bought him some popcorn for a quick snack, and then he had fun jumping around on the inflatables. I even went on the obstacle course with him a few times and jumped with him. We had a lot of fun together that morning, and I was glad to have this time with him before I went back to work on Monday.
After our time at Miss Lisa's, I took Aedan to Jump U.P. since I normally have subbed on Fridays and don't usually have a chance to take him there. I bought him some popcorn for a quick snack, and then he had fun jumping around on the inflatables. I even went on the obstacle course with him a few times and jumped with him. We had a lot of fun together that morning, and I was glad to have this time with him before I went back to work on Monday.
I got Aedan to take a good nap again on Friday, giving me some time to myself on Friday afternoon as well, which was nice for me. Then, we actually got invited to the Sayer's house for taco night with some other families from church. Samantha and Aedan were excited to play with some other kids, and Ben and I were excited for some adult conversation and a chance to not have to make dinner at home. After that, we got back home in time for me to get the kids to bed and Ben went to the hockey game on her own. I was glad for Ben to have a chance to get out of the house and watch a game in peace.
It was so good to be back home and start getting back into our normal weekly routine. Ben let me sleep in on Saturday, and then we relaxed and played together before heading to ice skating lessons. We had a couple errands to run, so I helped Ben get the ice skates on the kids before heading out to Walmart and the recycling center and then going back to pick Ben and the kids up. The video of Aedan is so great, watching him push that bucket around so fast, even though he keeps going up to Samantha's teacher rather than his own. But look at him go? He's skating all around the ice, catching himself when he almost loses his balance, reaches down to pick things up off the floor, and is getting around the ice so quickly now. Such a huge difference from his first lesson when all he did is sit on the ice and cry.
Samantha's video is great, too. She is getting pretty fast skating around on her own, and she discovered that she can do the little spin move at the end where she twirls around in a circle. They are doing a great job learning how to skate, and it will be fun to see them perform at the ice show in the spring.
On Saturday afternoon, after the kids took good naps, we decided to go to the John Rhodes pool in Canada to go swimming in theri warm water and enjoy some good family time. It's one of the few family-friendly indoor activities around, and we all enjoy our time there. It was a fun evening of playing and splashing in the water together. Ben and I even got the idea to maybe check out a place like Great Wolf Lodge for a winter getaway in February over our winter break. The kids would love to play in the water and an indoor water park. On our way home from swimming, we followed our typical tradition of stopping at Tim Horton's for some donut holes and coffee before crossing back over the International Bridge.
After a couple of busy days, Sunday was a much more relaxed day with church and then just getting things done around the house in preparation for the beginning to the week, Ben starting a new semester and me starting a new job. We had both Samantha and Aedan nap since they were both tired after being out late two nights in a row. I had gotten Aedan to sleep three days in a row when I put him down, but not when Ben put him down on Sunday. Who knows if it had anything to do with Ben or not, but it all made me a little nervous for how things would go on Monday when Aedan went to Miss Lisa's for the first time.
We went out for pizza that evening and when we came back home, Roscoe had pooped all over his kennel and laid in it. He had never done something like that before, and we were more than frustrated with having to clean up the mess. Usually he doesn't go where he sleeps, so now we are left wondering if we are going to need to make the decision to put him down sooner rather than later. We don't want to deal with cleaning up after him even more than we already do.
Monday was a day of firsts for everyone. We had to be out the door at 7:30 in the morning so that I could get to school to start my new job at 7:45. Samantha came with me and just hung out in the room while I helped get things ready for the day. It was fun having some extra time with my little girl during the day since I missed her when she was gone at school all day long. Ben dropped Aedan off at Miss Lisa's, and Aedan took his jacket right off and went running in to play. He didn't even care whether Ben hugged him or not. Samantha was also doing well in Mr. McBride's class, saying that she was doing great and all the children were being helpful to get her acquainted with the room and routine. Mr. McBride was impressed with Samantha's reading and writing skills. At the end of the day when Ben picked Aedan up, Miss Lisa said he did a great job and was respectful, ate well, and was a good listener. The only issue with his day was that he did not take a nap, which is not too surprising to me. With all the kids and the different environment, who knows if he will ever learn to nap there.
My day was pretty good, too. I wouldn't say it was fun, but I think I was just worried about how the day would go for everyone. Not that I just sat around all the time when I stayed home, but it will take some adjusting to get used to working outside of the house all day, getting up at 6:00 so I can be ready by 7:00 and help the kids get dressed and eat breakfast. I felt really tired and emotionally worn out that first night. Even though it's silly, I really missed Aedan that first day back to work. In fact, that night I put him to bed, and since he was so tired from not napping, he fell asleep in my arms while I was rocking him. I decided to just hold him extra long and enjoy him sleeping in my arms. I couldn't stop myself from crying a little bit as I rocked him. I was definitely feeling tired and emotional, and it would take some time to get used to going back to work.
(Blog about January 3-9, 2016)
After a couple of busy days, Sunday was a much more relaxed day with church and then just getting things done around the house in preparation for the beginning to the week, Ben starting a new semester and me starting a new job. We had both Samantha and Aedan nap since they were both tired after being out late two nights in a row. I had gotten Aedan to sleep three days in a row when I put him down, but not when Ben put him down on Sunday. Who knows if it had anything to do with Ben or not, but it all made me a little nervous for how things would go on Monday when Aedan went to Miss Lisa's for the first time.
We went out for pizza that evening and when we came back home, Roscoe had pooped all over his kennel and laid in it. He had never done something like that before, and we were more than frustrated with having to clean up the mess. Usually he doesn't go where he sleeps, so now we are left wondering if we are going to need to make the decision to put him down sooner rather than later. We don't want to deal with cleaning up after him even more than we already do.
Monday was a day of firsts for everyone. We had to be out the door at 7:30 in the morning so that I could get to school to start my new job at 7:45. Samantha came with me and just hung out in the room while I helped get things ready for the day. It was fun having some extra time with my little girl during the day since I missed her when she was gone at school all day long. Ben dropped Aedan off at Miss Lisa's, and Aedan took his jacket right off and went running in to play. He didn't even care whether Ben hugged him or not. Samantha was also doing well in Mr. McBride's class, saying that she was doing great and all the children were being helpful to get her acquainted with the room and routine. Mr. McBride was impressed with Samantha's reading and writing skills. At the end of the day when Ben picked Aedan up, Miss Lisa said he did a great job and was respectful, ate well, and was a good listener. The only issue with his day was that he did not take a nap, which is not too surprising to me. With all the kids and the different environment, who knows if he will ever learn to nap there.
My day was pretty good, too. I wouldn't say it was fun, but I think I was just worried about how the day would go for everyone. Not that I just sat around all the time when I stayed home, but it will take some adjusting to get used to working outside of the house all day, getting up at 6:00 so I can be ready by 7:00 and help the kids get dressed and eat breakfast. I felt really tired and emotionally worn out that first night. Even though it's silly, I really missed Aedan that first day back to work. In fact, that night I put him to bed, and since he was so tired from not napping, he fell asleep in my arms while I was rocking him. I decided to just hold him extra long and enjoy him sleeping in my arms. I couldn't stop myself from crying a little bit as I rocked him. I was definitely feeling tired and emotional, and it would take some time to get used to going back to work.
(Blog about January 3-9, 2016)
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