Museum of Life and Science

We went to the Museum of Life and Science for Gabe's 2nd birthday at the end of August. Since the beginning of this month was kind of busy around here, I'm just now getting around to posting some photos from that day. I went a little crazy with the camera, so there were lots of pictures to sort through.

We'd never been to the museum before and we were pleasantly surprised with all the great exhibits. We didn't even have time to see everything because it's so large. The boys enjoyed the dinosaur trail where they have life-size replicas of dinos in a natural habitat. They also really liked the various children's playspaces. The highlight for all of them had to be the train ride. Gabe, in particular, kept asking when it would be time to go on the train, and he finally got his birthday wish right before lunch.

It was a great time for all of us and we're glad we could be a part of Gabe's special day.

Side note: These pictures were taken before both of my boys received a much needed haircut. Around this same time, several strangers mistook Nathan for a girl. I didn't think his hair was that long, but hopefully his new haircut makes it a little more clear.

The birthday boy

Cooper checks out an old caboose At the farmyard

On the dinosaur trail...Nathan and Uncle JonTyler meets a dinosaur up close

Tyler at the insectarium (we saw some nasty-looking bugs--yuck!)Photo from the butterfly houseBecki and her sister BethanyTyler had so much fun pounding on these big drums

Gabe carried this hammer around pretty much the whole day--it turned out to be a perfect drumstick.Cooper takes his turn with the bellsTyler feels what a real cloud is likeNot sure what Gabe was listening to here, but he looked cute doing it.Tyler on the rock wallPapa Rudy gives Nathan a rideNathan was getting tired by the time we got on the train. Here he is just relaxing with Nana before the ride began.On the trainI love how Cooper will always turn and give me a smile when I ask for one. My boys aren't so obliging.Evidence that Tim and I were actually present at the celebrationGabe and his cookie cakeNathan couldn't get the cookie cake down fast enoughGrandma Pittman and NanaGabe and a new train! He's a big Thomas fan.

Preschool--One Week Down

As of yesterday, Tyler finished his first week of school and I have to say it went extremely well. He's enjoying it and has already made a little friend, Kiger (rhymes with tiger). He also knows which kids get in trouble, or in his words, "don't know the rules". He assures me that he and Kiger know the rules. Last night he taught us the song that they sing before lunch.

A week ago, the only times Tyler wasn't with Daddy, me, or another family member, were when he was in Sunday school or at MOPS. All of a sudden, he has this life that is totally separate from us. Like so many things encountered in motherhood, starting preschool is bittersweet. It's rewarding to see him thrive in this new place, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't also a little poignant.

One of the great things about preschool is that the kids make all kinds of wonderful crafts to take home. I love Tyler's creations because they provide a glimpse into his day. Each one is a conversation starter. On his first day, he came home with a poem about "The Kissing Hand" with a cut-out tracing of his little hand.

Yesterday he left with a gorgeous finger painting. I was impressed with his color choices because he usually goes straight for the black or green. Maybe those colors weren't an option that day.

Between preschool, Sunday school and MOPS, the side of our fridge is covered with treasures made by both Tyler and Nathan (Most of Nathan's pictures consist of 2 or 3 scribbles of one color, but they're still quite lovely to me). I need to come up with a system for displaying, rotating, and saving their artwork because we only have so many flat surfaces and only so much storage space at our house. Good thing we have a scanner because I think I'll be using it a lot in the coming months...and years!

On the Run

Both Tyler and I had a race this weekend. He ran the kids' dash and I ran the 5K. The races were held at the church where he attends preschool, so it was neat for him to be at his school on a non-school day. He showed up ready to race--he insisted on wearing a tank top because he knows from watching track & field on TV that runners always wear tank tops.

Chillin' before the kids' dash

The kid's dash was later in the morning than the 5K and there were lots of kids, unlike Tyler's last race. We thought they were going to run the dash in the same direction as last year, but they ran it in the opposite direction, so I don't have any photos of him actually running. I did manage to get a couple of photos of him at the starting line before we realized he was facing the wrong way.

Tyler kept sticking his hands in his mouth, probably because he was either feeling a little nervous or shy, or both.

David sizes up Goliath

It's not evident in the photos, but there were probably about 50 kids in this race. Tyler started in the very back and he finished somewhere in the middle of the pack. He wasn't the smallest, but he definitely wasn't one of the biggest either. He looked so cute pumping his little arms and legs as fast as he could. I was standing near the finish, so as soon as he made it to the end, I pointed him toward the guy who was handing out blue 1st place ribbons to all the kids. Tyler was so excited about his ribbon and he was all smiles when he gave me a big hug afterward. This time he wasn't bothered by the fact that he didn't win. I think having so many other kids around made him feel less self-concious and it probably just made it more fun. He also really liked the pen that came in his race packet. Sometimes he can be so easy to please.

Tyler put the pen behind his ear on his own. When I asked him who taught him to do that, he said, "Handy Manny!"

Filling out the back of his ribbon with his pen

Admiring his prize

Like I mentioned, I ran the 5K--only my second post-college race ever. I decided to run this 5K in particular because I ran the same one last September and I wanted to see whether I've improved since then. I've actually been running quite a bit this summer, so I hoped my time would reflect that. I ended up running over 2 minutes faster than last year (woohoo!) and I finished 2nd female overall. The course is very hilly with the last 1.5-miles being mostly uphill, so it was kind of brutal, but I was happy with my place and time.

A Week of Firsts

It has been a big week for us...and it's only Wednesday! Yesterday was the first day of the new MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) year and today was Tyler's first day of preschool.

This is my second year as Coordinator of the MOPS group at our church, and even though the job already seems easier than last year, it still requires a lot of time and work! We have 46 moms this year, which is the biggest our group has been since I've been a part of it. (Thankfully we have a wonderful Moppets Coordinator who oversees all of our volunteer teachers and the 70+ kids. I think her job is much more difficult than mine.)

There are always a lot of materials to prepare and planning to do at the beginning of the year, so I do feel a sense of relief now that we made it through the first meeting. We only one had one minor glitch--our scheduled speaker had to cancel 2 days prior due to a family emergency--but it all worked out fine, I think. I do pray that we have a great year and each of the moms will benefit from the ministry in some way.

I had to make it through MOPS yesterday before I could really even think about Tyler's first day of preschool, which was today! We attended orientation a week ago and it went really well. We met Tyler's teachers and then we had a meeting with the preschool director while the kids stayed in their classrooms. I'm pretty sure Tyler didn't even know we had left. He was so caught up in playing with all the toys and checking out his classroom. His teachers gave him a Hershey's Kiss on his way out, which he was very excited about. ["Wook! I got tocket (chocolate)!"] As we walked down the hall away from his classroom, he nonchalantly said, "That was fun."

Photos taken this morning before school

Drop-off this morning went incredibly smooth. We waited in the atrium until the director unlocked the door and everyone who had arrived early started shuffling to their classes. Tyler got right in line and was on his way. I actually had to tell him to wait up so Nathan and I could catch up to him. When we got to his classroom, I gave him a quick hug and he went straight in with his backpack and lunchbox. His teacher, Miss Kerry, asked him to find his cubby and put away his things. He never looked back, not even once. He was such a big boy about the whole thing--almost too big.

Nathan and I made our back outside and then it hit me. Unlike orientation, Tyler was not leaving with us, at least not for 4 more hours. When I'd pictured this day in my mind, I'd never thought past dropping him off at his classroom. Given that orientation had gone so well, I predicted that we'd have a tearless good-bye--and we did. The thing is, I hadn't stopped to imagine how incredibly hard it would be for me to say good-bye. I had to force myself to hold it together as I carried Nathan to the car. I didn't want the other parents to see me crying, so I purposefully focused on the fact that I still had my baby with me.

When we finally made it to the car, I called Tim to tell him how drop-off went, but when I couldn't get a hold of him, I called my mom. One simple question from her--"Did you just drop off your big boy?"-- and I was a mess. Of course I was grateful that Tyler didn’t show any sign of hesitation. That would have made it even more difficult for me. I just needed to acknowledge the importance of today by crying for a couple minutes so I could move on with the rest of my day.

Nathan and I spent the morning running errands and it was definitely much quieter in the car without Tyler. We were actually able to accomplish quite a bit with one less munchkin to snap in and out of a carseat. Back at home for lunch, the house didn’t seem to have the same amount of bustle without Tyler’s incessant chatter.

When we returned to the preschool to pick up Tyler, we waited outside his classroom with some other moms. Miss Kerry hadn’t called him yet, but Tyler came running out of the room to me. I’m not sure how he even saw me because I was behind at least two other moms. Like all the other kids, he was probably just keeping an eye out for his mom. Poor Miss Kerry, she was like a human gate trying to stop the kids from escaping. She was trying to dismiss kids in the order that their parents arrived, so I sent Tyler back in until it was his turn, and he went willingly. Miss Kerry called him a minute later, and he was running back out with a big hug for me. I had to send him back once again, this time to get his backpack and lunchbox from his cubby.

Walking to the car, Tyler told me that he had fun at school and he was in good spirits. Then, I opened the car door and Tyler saw PJ. All of a sudden, he burst into tears.

Tyler: I not want you to bring P-ssay!

Me (after trying to console him for a couple minutes): I’m sorry, buddy. I thought it would be a nice surprise for you.

Tyler (through sobs): No, dat not a nice surprise!

How was I to know that bringing his doggie would cause such a negative reaction? He loves PJ! The more I thought about it, I realized that his entire day was full of uncertainty. The last thing he wanted was to have me throw one more surprise his way. Tyler was sad the entire drive home and didn’t seem to recover until just before his nap when he finally started telling me some random details about his day:

1) “I the only kid who open my lunchbox all by myself!”
2) “My teacher give my grapes to another boy. She thought he bring them. I told her, ‘No, those are my grapes.’” – I really hope he said it in a nice way…
3) When I asked him whether he played in the sandbox, he said, “Yeah! They have lots of trucks! They have dump trucks and a concrete mixer!”
4) “Mommy, you want to hear what I did at school? I decorated a placemat.” (Me: For what?) “For my food. I put a apple on it and two leaves.”

All things considered, I think it was a good day. Tyler repeatedly told us that he had fun at school, and if I hadn’t brought PJ to pick him up, he probably would have made it through the day without shedding a single tear. I guess we’ll see how it goes on Friday when we do it all over again…without the doggie.