Mother of Preschoolers

I am absolutely giddy right now. 

Fall is here and the routines have started, and I am officially in a new season of life.

Don't misunderstand me, the summer went as well as it could possibly go...and it was the best one yet with the kiddos. 

But...we did everything we could possibly do. 

A highlight of the summer: A cowboy birthday party complete with ponies!

Caleb LOVED the pony

I was so desperate towards the end of the summer that  I let my kids play at Fred Meyer

There were no more parks to visit or PB and J picnics to be had. Like the changing seasons, we needed something fresh and new. 

                                                                                          Preschool. 

 Yes, ALL my children are enrolled in preschool. (well, Evie will proudly tell you “pre-k PLUS!)

Evie goes to a fantastic preschool near by and when I dropped her off last year, I always took one of the boys with me. For the boys, going to preschool was a privilege and something that was highly anticipated. When it was "their day" they excitedly raced into the car to see Evie off. They cried when they had to leave the colorful, interesting classroom. 

So when I found out there was a 2 1/2 preschool program, I took three spots. 

 Preschool has been talked about and anticipated all summer. Now that it’s their turn to actually stay in the classroom and hang their back packs and coats on their own hooks and have their own name tags, they are beyond excited. 

I started prepping them for the start of school several weeks ago. I took each boy out to the store individually to pick out their new back pack. This ceremony ordained them as official preschoolers. They strutted around the house for days wearing their treasured back packs, ready to start. 

Evie goes to Pre-K Mon-Thurs morning; the boys go Tues and Thurs mornings. 

I have two mornings a weeks when I load up all the kids, herd them into school, and drop them off by myself. A year ago, this task seemed unimaginable and completely impossible. 

Yesterday I did it for the first time. 

Once we arrived, James was off playing with trucks and talking to another boy even before I had a chance to pin his name tag on and say good bye. Caleb looked around enthusiastically, gave me a hug and off he went exploring the room. 

Levi, however, screamed in terror at the realization of being left. He clung to my leg as the teachers lovingly talked and convinced him to say good-bye. Apparently he was fine as soon as I exited. 

Evie was a great help to me, buckling boys into their seats and making sure they followed me through the busy parking lot. She walked into her new classroom like she was casually coming home. She gave me a quick obligatory hug and immediately started chatting to her friends and partaking in the activities spread out around the classroom. 

 I saw so many moms and parents I knew from last year, as well as people from our neighborhood and gym. It's truly a community place. It was so nice to visit and catch up.

 As I walked out of that school to an empty van, I marveled at the realization that I had just dropped all four kids off. 

I decided that since it was such a beautiful day I would go on a run through some parks and nature paths. I didn’t even listen to music but simply enjoyed the silence  of fall. The once busy playgrounds were now eerily empty. The sun wasn’t beating down, but instead a crisp stillness enveloped me.

 As I ran, the beautiful silence was suddenly interrupted by  crying children and babies. I came upon a “stroller strides” exercise class. There was a pack of tired  moms in yoga pants, with their double strollers, pacifying cranky kids with toddler snacks as they desperately tried to get a workout in. I sensed their exhaustion and their support for each other, and the burden of doing life with babies attached. 

A quick but astounding thought passed through my mind: "I’m past that" 

"This isn't a season I can relate to anymore."

 This thought was shocking to me. Absolutely shocking. I suddenly realized that I no longer identified with this newly post pregnancy stage of tending to small babies.

 I no longer identified with the strollers, and bottles and the feeling of keeping someone alive who was so small and unpredictable. 

 I was in the next stage. 

A mother of preschoolers.

 As I ran past them, all these feelings and thoughts came flooding over me as I remembered that not-to distant time as a mom of a newborn (or three newborns!) How quickly now I’m in the next stage.

Summer 2014: Th3 babies and a toddler

 And it feels so incredibly good. 

Needless to say, the time between drop off and pick up went wayyyyy too fast.  I was actually really worn out from gathering them and their belongings from their classrooms, convincing them to follow me through the parking lot (and leaving the playground), getting them situated into their car seats in the van and then unloading them and feeding them lunch before hauling them upstairs for rest time. Whew. Even though I'm in the next stage, exhaustion still exists. 

My kids still really need to be taken care of, but I do see things changing in a big way. 

  I do think preschool will be good for them, and I'm sure the whole process will get easier. 

 I'm excited about this new season of life and anticipate a lot of growth and change in the next nine months!

And then there were 3.

                                                               "I only have three children this week!" 

I literally thought I'd never make a declaration like that...and actually breath a sigh of relief along with it.  

It's true though. Evie is 2000 miles away in Chicago with my family (btw, having the time of her life...I know we will need a detox period because reality will hit hard again...) 

But, I'm enjoying time with my boys. 

And life is very different. 

I feel a little guilty admitting that things are easier this week. Life is simpler, and the days are less intense. I'm realizing that Evie's strong personality really changes the flow and dynamic of the household.

Obviously, Evie 100% completes our family. But the change in pace and energy is profound. 

 

One of the biggest differences in the house is due to the boys PLAYING with toys! This is a phenomenon that my little social girl won't do.  It's nice to have kids that are content and happy with simply playing at home. 

The boys are obsessed with trains. My mom got them a pretty big train table off craigslist when she was here and it's now the new centerpiece in the living room. 

While Evie is enjoying her time away, the boys have free reign on the entire house without anyone else's opinions getting in the way. 

They get to watch all their shows-Thomas the train, Bob the Builder and Sesame Street-without protest or challenge. 

Every activity and moment is focused on them instead of divided between two different ages and interests. 

I'm having fun with my boys.  And it makes me happy to know that Evie is enjoying her time with my family, in the place I grew up. 

 She is sleeping in my childhood bed, exploring my childhood yard and wandering through my home. It’s hard to believe that we are at that stage now when Evie is old enough and mature enough to go on excursions without me.

This is the photo that I received this afternoon of what she's been up to with her great-grandma.

The past month has been very different. I picked up my mom and Aunt Penny at the airport at the end on July. We spent the first few days going on adventures with the kids..to the zoo, farm, parks, fountains…It was good to spend time with my aunt, and it was good to have the extra help with the kids. 

However, after a few days, John and I packed our bags and we took off to San Fransisco to attend John's cousin's wedding. 

After having this many children, vacations look so different than they used to. When we were first married and in our early twenties, a vacation meant having every single minute packed with an activity or somewhere to go or do. Now, most of the first few hours of a vacation are spent joyfully holed up in our hotel room, half sleeping, half watching dumb TV. It's really quite wonderful to not be interrupted or needed or required to do anything. 

Another thing we love to do on our vacations now is share an afternoon afagato and people watch. I think the one we had in San Fransisco was truly the best afagato experience we've had yet. It was heavenly sitting on the pier in the sunshine.

Joy in a bowl

Another favorite activity on vacation is walking and exploring. We call it urban hiking because we love to venture/eat/drink our way through the city. We spent two days walking the hilly city and covered 14 miles. 

We wandered streets and neighborhoods, stopped, ate, drank and wandered some more. It was so refreshing to just have the day and not worry about nap schedules, or eating plans or bedtime routines. 

It's the small things!!

We spent a few hours in the red wood forest national park. I thought we had big trees in Oregon, but gazing up up up at those majestic monsters totally blew my mind. 

Twisting to the sky

 They live thousands of years. 

A cut away of one of the trees. Each ring represents a year of the tree's life. The labels indicate historical events, showing the significance of it's lifespan. (i.e.: the birth of Jesus is the one closest to the center...)

Although they live thousands of years, the trees eventually die, like everything else on this earth. However, from their death and the nutrients produced from their  fallen and decaying limbs, new life is able to grow and flourish.  Among the forest were "family circles", pods of smaller trees growing from the limbs of their ancestors. 

I love the analogy here, to life and of family. 

The wedding itself was gorgeous. John’s cousin married in the chapel at Standford. The reception was on the 34th floor of the St Francis Westin hotel overlooking Union Square. There were drinks, dancing, and evening gowns. It was a glamorous affair.

So elegant

Ready for an evening of fun

San Fransisco on the 34th floor

My mom stayed for 2.5 weeks.  When I drove her to the airport, it was strange to say "good-bye" to both her and Evie at the security line. My mom assured me she’d look after Evie like" she was her own daughter.”  I already knew this, but it was reassuring to hear her say it. 

Ready for a Chicago adventure with Grandma

The change in pace is nice; but I know I will definitely be ready to see our little girl next week! 

Summer 2016

It is the middle of July. THE MIDDLE OF JULY!!
What, how did this happen?!
 I'm not complaining though. Since becoming a mom (and not teaching anymore) "summer break" takes on a whole new meaning.

Evie says "good-bye" to her preschool teacher

Evie's last day of preschool

Like last summer, I faced these three months with trepidation. How was I going to fill these long, hot days with the four kids?! 
However, this summer really has not been hot. Last summer we spent many afternoons cooped up inside due to temperatures in the 90s and 100s. This summer, its been quite the opposite. Its been rather cloudy and cool. Although it doesn't feel like summer outside sometimes, I'm really not complaining because I prefer park playdates in the 70s rather than burning up in the 90s.

Although still exhausting, summer is not as daunting as previous summers when I had three babies and a two year old... 

Summer 2014

And then three barely walking toddlers and a three year old.....

Summer 2015

 This summer I have three curious, active little boys and an outgoing little girl.

Summer 2016

 

Berry season came early this year due to the hot spring we had. Amanda and I went berry picking with the kids.

Wandering the fields, picking berries and enjoying the fresh air revived my spirit.

All the kids enjoyed the outing. Evie delighted in finding the biggest berries and insisted she be in charge of the strawberry bucket.

On the other hand, Levi wanted to be commander in chief too, so he took his job of being in charge of the blueberry bucket very seriously. We told him that only blue berries were worthy of being kept; all the green, small ones should not be included in the bucket. If someone put one in that did not meet that discription, he tossed it out and explained that is was “no good.”

Caleb really didn’t care about picking berries. Initially he’d pick one up curiously only to squish it and cover himself in berry stain. After that, he was content to wander aimlessly in the berry patches, pick up sticks and throw rocks.

James spent his time eating all the berries. Although we told him not to, he would be hunched over  secretly stuffing berries into his mouth. He was so “red handed”…berry juice literally covered every inch of his guilty face, and later he had quite the tummy ache (and diaper explosion)

I just delighted in seeing my kids in the fresh air, away from the temptation of technology or the lure of TV.

Fun on the farm

The fourth of July parade with cousins Cady and Geneva and friends Braydon and Avonlea

This year was the first year I can remember when it really didn’t feel like the fourth of July because it was so overcast and chilly during the parade morning. Nevertheless, the kids still had a good time collecting candy, walking in our neighborhood parade in the afternoon (the sun peaked out then!), and ending the day at a friend's BBQ.

Happy 4th!

Speaking of BBQ, our family has been invited and has attended several BBQs this summer,  a huge milestone!
 People actually dare to invite our family over! It's not completely stress- less yet, but this is the first summer we even attempted such an outing.

Another personal highlight is that John and I got out to hike one afternoon in the gorge by ourselves. There's nothing better than walking through waterfalls. And I love that we are 40 min from this paradise.

Elowah Falls

In addition to a dance camp with her friend and some camps at her preschool, Evie also took swimming lessons-and passed!- her level 1. This is a big accomplishment for her. When she began them in April, she was very hesitant about water. With a little instruction and some pool time with her friends, she has made great strides. 

Evie also got to do her first overnight trip in Seattle to visit her cousins with Grammie and Grandpa. She was very excited about this. I believe it was a great memory and a special time. 

So far, summer 2016 will be remembered as one that is definitely more manageable than all the other previous summers.

Being able to take all four kids in the backyard solo is a huge accomplishment compared to last summer. 

It's still overwhelming and extremely depleting, but little by little I do see the sunny breaks in the clouds. 

Captain Lee

Sweet Caleb

Mischievous James

Happy Evie

Playground coup

Family life summer 2016