Michigan :: Day 2- Time with Claire

We woke up on the 4th and were exited for the day that we had planned. Gus's birth mom, Claire, was going to be coming to the hotel to meet us for some swimming. We had breakfast and then soon after, Claire arrived and we headed to the pool!

After about an hour of swimming, we decided to head back to the room and then head out for something to eat. We decided to check out the mall and let the boys play at the soft play area and grab something in the food court.

The soft play area was a big hit, but the food court left a lot to be desired. They only had a Subway, so we decided to head to Max n' Erma's for lunch.

We had a great lunch and then it was time to say goodbye to Claire. Fortunately, we had plans to see her and her family later during the week, but we wanted to have some time with just her, since we knew we wouldn't get that at our big visit with her family.

Trip to Michigan

We decided to take a trip north for the summer since it had been almost two years since we had been "home." We set out on Friday, July 3rd and had a great drive without any issues. The boys were entertained for five straight hours before needing us to turn on a movie. :-)

Driving through the Smokey Mountains was pretty (as it always is) and the boys liked seeing the "smoke" on the mountains. 

We stopped for a quick lunch and were back on the road without any hiccups. We were able to get to Michigan in less than 12 hours total.

 

Each boy was excited to have his own iPad to play with

 

They both napped... which was AWESOME

 

Gus and Hugh napped twice... which was so great!!

 

We arrived in Michigan at 5pm!

 

We got to our hotel just before 6pm and ordered some Hungry Howies to be delivered to our hotel. We enjoyed a delicious dinner and my parents came to the hotel to see us. It was a great first day of our vacation!

Big Stuff

 

We're Potty Training!

Prior to yesterday, Hugh had been completely uninterested in the potty. He would sit on it (clothes on) every now and then, but wouldn't sit with clothes off, and if you asked him if he wanted to go potty, he'd say no.

I'm not sure what happened to cause the readiness, but out of nowhere, when we got home from the splash pad yesterday, I asked him if he wanted to go pee pee on the potty, as I was taking his wet swim clothes off him. He said yes, and sat right on the potty. He didn't go right away, so I left him sitting there while I gathered up wet clothes and towels. 

All of a sudden, Gus started shouting, "He's going pee pee!" and when I came to look, sure enough, there was pee pee in the little potty! I was SO EXCITED!!! Of course, Gus and I made a HUGE deal out of it and we were screaming, clapping, hooting, and hollerin' and Hugh was just beaming with pride.

To make it even sweeter, before he went to bed last night, he went pee pee on the potty so Steve could see it. He went again tonight before bed and I am so proud of him. 

I know it's not a guarantee that he's ready for full-on training, it's definitely good stuff. He'll be going to Tu/Th preschool starting in September and we've got pullups for him to wear to school. I know when he sees other kids going, he'll just be even more interested and willing to go. 

It's bittersweet. Don't get me wrong, I'm ready to be done with diapers... but it makes me a little sad to know he's growing up and already starting to do big stuff like this. 

Last Day of GA PreK

 

August 11th, 2014

The last day of GA PreK arrived on Friday, May 22nd and we were all kinds of excited! While we were sad to say goodbye to the friends made at Medlock Bridge, we were so ready to stop waking up at 5:40am M-F to get on a bus at 6:15am. I'm sorry, but it made for a really LONG school year.

Gus still had a bit of a baby-face at the start of the year, but by May 22nd, that baby look was gone. It's sad so see the passing of this phase, but exciting at the same time to start the next phase :: The Elementary Years.

I'm excited for Gus to experience all the wonderful things that come with attending school. He thrives on order and routine, and school is perfect for that. He loves being around other kids and feeling important, and he'll have that. Most importantly, he needs his sensory needs met, and when he returns to kindergarten in the fall, he'll have plenty of time to have all his sensory needs met. It's going to be great for him.

Here are some comparison pictures of August and May.

 

August 2014

 

May 2015

 

1st Day with Mr. Serge

 

Last Day with Mr. Serge

 

1st Day

 

Last Day

This year has been full of tremendous growth for Gus. Academically, he's on the advanced side of things and has recently begun reading sight words. While in school, he was one of five kids in the only reading group in his class, and he was doing really well. He loves books, words, and reading.

His favorite subjects are science, reading, and math-- though to be honest, he really loves all subjects. He has a natural love for learning and I'm praying that it continues.

I know that preschool, kindergarten, and first grade are the CRITICAL years for developing a love for school and learning. If a child has a negative experience during these three years, it sets the tone for the future, and there's nothing more difficult to process than a child that hates school. We're hoping that he gets a phenomenal teacher for kindergarten and that his first grade year is met with nothing but happiness, growth, and success.

We've already started preparing for kindergaten and have been reading lots of books with a kindergarten theme. We recently bought his backpack (on clearance from REI and it's awesome). We per-ordered a Paw Patrol lunch box and are eager for it to ship. I've started buying back to school clothing (I've got his first day of school outfit bought and his shirt and tie for fall pictures). Needless to say, he's really excited for kindergarten. :-)

Next we need to start focusing on Hugh and his first day, but he doesn't start until September (he starts Tu/Th preschool on the Tuesday after Labor Day). Gus starts kindergarten on August 10th.

I'm hoping to post more this summer-- please forgive the lapse in time!!