Creating Habits

Since school started and we are officially back into a routine, I am working hard on getting us all into good habits and routines that can hopefully become normal to us. I go in spurts where I am great for a month or I am great at a few of these things and slack on others. The goal is to be awesome on all of them all the time!  I've always been one to make beds, but later in the afternoon or get my kids dressed but maybe not till 10 am but now with 2 kids in school we are up and at them and have to leave the house by 7:45! Nice and early! Here are some things I'm trying hard to make habits in our lives...

*Making beds right in the morning
*Having playroom picked up before we leave house
*Teeth brushed, vitamins, and hair done before heading downstairs for breakfast
*Backpack and lunch done the night before
*A daily cleaning schedule...vacuum mondays, bathrooms tuesdays ect.
* Nightly scripture study with all 3 kids
*Homework and reading time 1 hour after school, get lunch, watch a show then homework no whinny, no complaining, hop to it or no one gets to play in the afternoon!

I am hoping as my mornings get even busier these next few years when all of the kids are going to school, or preschool, that this is all normal and there is no dragging of the feet or whining. My kids do great with routine and knowing the plan and I am trying to be the best mom for them and instead of putting out fires all day we can be productive and have smooth days! I don't believe that your day or morning for that fact has to be the crazy hectic mornings that sometimes having a bunch of kids can be portrayed as!

Locking Noah In The Car...

I don't really want to remember this, but it is also one of those memories that I hope I can look back on in 10 years and laugh, or cry either way it needs to be documented. The other day I took Noah to a birthday party in the morning while scout napped at home and Max was at school. I was feeling out of it, and kinda hazy, so when I pulled up to the house I wasn't probably really thinking about anything. I parked the car, opened the door, locked the door and slammed it shut. 2 seconds later I realized I had left my bag in there, with the keys next to it and poor Noah buckled into his car seat in the back seat. Now Noah has no clue how to unbuckle is 5 point harness carseat (thank goodness most of the time) I quickly realized what had happened as he started to cry asking me to get him out. OH my goodness I was so out of it anyways I called my mom and luckily she found the spair key (which is missing a lot of the time) I had to wait about 10 minutes for her to get over to the house and in the mean time I was trying to calm poor Noah down who had been crying and screaming and kicking and getting nice and sweaty in there. I kept trying to get him to try to unbuckle his seat, because I know from there he would have been able to unlock the door. It was so sad and I felt SO SO bad and also SO grateful it wasn't 110 degrees yet and that Scout wasn't with us. My mom arrived and saved the day. I got Noah out and the poor guy was so worked up it took him awhile to calm down and take some breaths. It is moments like that, that make me realize just what a little guy he really is, that he was so scared and helpless. I kept saying sorry and explaining what had happened he finally took his binki out and said "its okay mom" oh poor boy. Anyways I hope that it never happens again, and in some ways I am surprised it took this long to happen but boy am I glad I didn't have to break a window or anything!

Max First Day Of School!

Max set off on his first day of school this week! He is doing transitional Kindergarden at Brooks school, the same elementary school I attended when I was little. He was super excited to go to his new big kid school and meet all his new friends. We went back and forth on sending him to regular kindergarden or doing a 2 year program that our school now offers. We decided to give him that extra year to really learn and transition and I think it will be great fit for him. He is learning to read slowly and is excellent at numbers and there are a million reasons why we chose to do TK but one is that we hope instead of being in the middle of the pack he will be at the top academically as well as have more leadership opportunities as he grows. We were concerned with him being a boy and one of the youngest, and now after he has been there a few days I think it was  a perfect choice. There are some other boys who are newly 5 as well and he has made some great friends. As you can tell it has been a choice that has weighed heavily on our minds, Larry and I both know how important school is and what a difference a year can make in a young kids life.

Anyways enough of that...Max was amazing his first day. He gave me a hug and walked right into his room. He is a pro now after preschool really and I felt happy and proud of him. I wasn't sad or worried for him, I know he is in a safe school and that his teacher is wonderful. Plus it is only half way so he wasn't gone to long. Noah did miss him a lot though and acted up like crazy. He gets to start preschool in a few weeks so I am hoping he will be excited to have his own thing. One thing I am excited about is joining the PTA and getting involved at the school. I loved going to Brooks as a Kid and I am so excited to have my kids experience it now. I also am super lucky that my mom offered to watch the other kids every Friday so I can volunteer in Max's class. Sometimes I miss working but I wouldn't be able to do half of these things If I worked so I am really excited to embrace the stay at home, PTA mom, it was what I wanted for so long and what I longed for as I studied my life away in college so it's here this new phase of motherhood and I'm happy to enter into it!

Let's check this cute little guy out! OH I love him so much and am loving the little kid he is turning into! I don't feel like time is flying by, but I do feel like these next few years will fly by because of how fast he is learning, developing, and growing. He is so smart and thinks way out of the box but yet he still cries when he gets hurt, or nervous and he still wants you to lay by him and hold him. I love that little kindergarden face and am so excited to see what he becomes! Get ready for 20 something years of school buddy, buckle in it is a long and wild ride!