Potty training

Meg has been training herself to use the toilet. I love that I spent years trying to get Andy interested, forcing him into underpants (and forcing myself to clean up and/or throw away disgusting boys underwear) while Meg pretty much decided she was ready and went for it. It's not perfect and it's not done yet, but for the past two weeks, she's been going to school in big girl underwear. Last week, she even came home four days out of five wearing the same shorts/skirts I dropped her off wearing. So how do you like that?

Things are calming down into a workable rhythm. We have a schedule for drop offs and pick ups and the  kids have been settling into more regular sleep patterns. It's not perfect, but it sure beats the summer where I was ready to throw myself out of a window because it was so chaotic.

We're also settling into some nice rich guy problems, like how to make use of this enormous house? It's so much bigger than our old place that I'm struggling with the right way to arrange things. Like the kitchen. It's so big, I am not sure where to put everything so that I don't have take 30 steps just to make toast in the morning. We also have this pool to worry about. Bjorn and Mark have been good about learning how it works, how to keep it clean and the chemicals needed to maintain it. That said, fall is definitely coming and the amount of leaves that fall into the pool and need to get cleaned seems to double each day. I know, nice rich guy problems.

We've still got some decisions to make. The backyard is pretty much off limits to the kids by themselves due to the pool. That means I've got the kids practically under my feet while trying to make dinner. I need to think about some fencing strategy in the backyard or some better way to let them play in the garage unsupervised. I also managed to get rid of all my ride on and other outdoor toys so I need to be on the hunt for some cheap plastic objects, like scooters and/or a sand box. All good stuff for me to hunt for at the thrift store.

I am pleased how well we're getting there though. I still miss our friends and family back home, but it's wonderful getting to see my family (and extended) family more often as well as old friends while trying to mix in new friends. Like I said, boring rich girl problems!

Transitional kindergarten

So there's a big deal down in Texas about holding your kids back a year before starting them in school. There are a couple of reasons for it. Say the school cut-off is August 31 and your child is born August 20, you might decide to hold him back a year so that they're among the older kids and not the youngest. The reasons being that your kid is more mature and ready when they start kindergarten and therefore more ready to learn, be away from home, etc. That also means that they are a year older and possibly more advanced than those younger kids. This would give the kid a leg up when it comes to academics (i.e. more mature kids in theory are more likely to do better in school).

It also means, wait for it, that they are bigger physically. In a place like Texas where sports is perhaps a slightly bigger deal than elsewhere (let's be real, it is a big deal everywhere else, just perhaps a bigger deal here), your kid will get physically bigger sooner, simply because he's 13 and hitting puberty when his classmates who are 12 aren't there yet.

This leads to some other questions though. So if everyone does it, does the advantage go away? I get August birthdays, but what about April birthdays? Or even September birthdays? So now instead of starting kindergarten at 5, they would be starting at 7. Now that's an even weirder disparity of having kids in the same class that are almost two years apart. That doesn't seem right for either set of kids -- the older ones who want to date at age 15 when they're in eighth grade or the younger ones who at 13 in eighth grade, are still playing with their Lego's and video games.

Everyone wants the best of their kids, but it seems that if there is an age for when kids can enter kindergarten, there should also generally be a cut off, too, to prevent 9 year olds from being in the first grade. Of course, some kids genuinely struggle in school and may need an extra year of kindergarten to overcome dyslexia or an autism spectrum, but where do you draw the line?

Both my kids have January birthdays so I never really thought about having to make a choice. They would both be 5 2/3rds when they started kindergarten, hopefully making them neither the oldest or the youngest in the bunch. It will be interesting if I find out their really among the youngest. I don't think it will change my decision to put them in school at that age, but it would be good to know.

What happened to the good old days when folks were thrilled when their kids were old enough to go off to school?

Homework

Andy's been in school three weeks. So far, he's had one evening's worth of homework, bringing in a box of "All About Me" objects for a show and tell type thing. As for me, I've had homework for his class probably every other night. Most recently, I had to produce a collage of photographs to help him come up with ideas when they're writing. Naturally, I have very few printed pictures anymore. Rather, they are all digital (I keep meaning to get prints, but there are so, so many, I really need to spend the time to weed through them and I just haven't done it).

Like a good student, I went to Kodak Gallery on Tuesday and placed my order for two collages. Cost: $6. Two day shipping so I was sure it would arrive in time for school on Monday: $10.99. This morning, I realized the package never came. F*ck. So I contact Kodak, "There's no tracking information in your file. It must have been lost." Great. Can't be customer service like that.

Now, I can't be the parent of the kid not turning in homework! How would that look? So at noon, I frantically went to CVS and wasn't able to just have my Kodak Gallery prints sent there. Which left Costco. Fortunately I had a couple dozen photographs in my online account there so I could quickly order two collages and have them ready in two hours. Phew! I am able to turn in my homework on time.

Andy thinks the idea of homework sounds fun and he can't wait until he gets to have some real homework. Me, well, not to much.

Hurricane Hermine

So, um, it's been raining in Southlake the last 24 hours thanks to the remnants of Hurricane Hermine. The smaller bridge is the view from my driveway. Normally, it's a steep little hill walking down to the bridge that you can see is partially under water. This was after it stopped raining around 12:30 p.m. About an hour before, it was even higher. The other is a view of White's Chapel Bridge that I stole from the City of Southlake's Facebook page. I'd say it's closed for now.

I have been impressed with the emergency response though. They have sirens available that they used in some parts of the city. I even got an auto call from city warning me of street closures around the city. Well done, city of Southlake.

Neighbors are telling me that this is the highest they've ever seen it. I think they meant that as reassurance, but it did not make me feel confident that my pool wouldn't overflow and the creek wouldn't climb up the hills into my bedroom. I'm so glad we arrived in Texas for the hottest summer and rainiest fall after the snowiest winter in Washington. Yay me! (Sure, it's all about global warming, but it's hard not to take it personally).

Classic

Andy's feet have smelled awful lately, partly due to the fact that he left them in brief rainstorm last week and that he generally refuses to wear socks. Thus the combination of rain/mildew and sweat have been pretty ugly. Based on some kind feedback from friends on Facebook, I treated them with Febreeze and have been making an effort to leave them in the garage over night to air out. This leads us to today.

It's Thursday, everyone is cranky and we're pulling into the school at 7:54, just in time before the 7:55 bell rings when Andy announces, "Hey! I don't have any shoes on." D'oh!

My quick thinking made me decide to make him wear Meg's crocs (too small, but functional) into school so he wouldn't be late while I ran home to get him shoes, which I then had to leave for him in the office. I am sure this is the first of many times I will be returning to the office with something left at home -- homework, lunch.

Settling in

Well, after three weeks, I feel like we're finally settling in. Sure, the house is still a wreck in many ways and there is furniture in places that I'm not sure I like still. BUT we're getting closer. Mark and Bjorn put a bunch of boxes in the attic and now the garage is more or less thinned out with stuff that should actually be in the garage. I still have a lot to do, like taking a good look at the yard and doing some wedding and grooming, but every day we get a little more settled in and are understanding the quirks of the place. I'm happy with it. I am also loving being so near my family. We've seen my parents and/or sister and nieces in various combinations and it's so great just to be able to do that so easily. I know the kids love it, too, especially seeing Megan and Emma. It's pretty adorable.

Meg has also been sleeping a little better and generally this weekend was less clingy. Course, I thought that last night as I went to bed, marveling that she finally went to bed by herself without someone in there rubbing her back. Then she went and screwed it up by waking up at 3 a.m. and having a little party in bed until 5 a.m. Bjorn and I were not happy with that development.

Mark starts community college today and I must say I'm impressed with him for getting his stuff together to get himself registered and figuring out the money to pay for it. I think he's in a good place to do well this semester.

Some things we still have to figure out, like finding a pediatrician, but we're on our way.

Hugs not slugs

The first day of school was yesterday. I was definitely more nervous than Andy, I think. This marks the first time that he HAS to be at school by a certain time, not the laissez faire complicated math formula we've done it in the past which is the kids get dropped off relative to when we have to be at the office relative to when we woke up in correlation to how many times the kids woke up in the night inverse to when what time I went to bed. Plus, drop off is a solid 45 minutes to an hour earlier than we normally dropped off.

But we made it. I dropped him off and he was happy about it. No tears from either of us. I was nervous about looking the part. I did shower in the morning, but in between discussions of whether Andy had to wear socks and whether Meg really intended to stand outside my shower and cry the whole time I was in there (seriously), I ran out of time to put on makeup and blow dry my hair. I could just hear my mother in the back of my head saying something about not drying my hair. My answer was to put it up in a ponytail. It was fine.

Meanwhile, I shouldn't have even worried about it. I took this picture of Andy sitting at his table (his teacher is in the foreground). Check out the woman wearing a hat and a racer back sports bra. Seriously? Who wears that indoors? Of course, people who can rock the outfit wear it, but I didn't feel self conscious once I realized I was at least wearing a top. Overall, Andy did fine. It's hard to believe he's actually in school!

Meanwhile, speaking of tops, Meg is rocking a new look these days. This kid refuses to wear her clothes a lot of the time. We're having struggles where I turn around and she's removed her diaper and is wandering around al fresco. See the look she's rocking here? Crocs (thanks Frances!), a pajama shirt on her head, and Fancy Nancy underpants over her shorts. I really need to frame this one for later.

Hits a little too close to home

I suppose it's official

Andy got a letter today from his kindergarten teacher. I guess it's official, my boy is going to school next Monday.

Meanwhile, Andy and I got into a bit of an argument about whether he's going to first grade or kindergarten. Well, argument is too strong. He insists he's going to first grade, "First grade is kindergarten, Mommy." I insist he's wrong, but realize there is very little I can do to make him realize he's wrong so for perhaps the first time in my life, you know, ever, I'm holding my tongue.

The great sleep battle of 2010

Meg has turned from being my champion sleeper to being my champion refuse-to-sleeper. Seriously. It started in the spring. She was probably ready for a big girl bed, but she refused and wanted to sleep in her crib. So when we listed the house, the toddler bed went up into the attic. Naturally, with Bjorn out of the picture and me pressed to keep the house clean, she decided it was time to screw with me. She started throwing herself out of the bed and it was anything I could do to get her to sleep.

Then we went on vacation for two weeks and it just got more complicated. She and Andy would share twin beds next to each other and she did fine, assuming you could get her to go to sleep. It was often lots of bringing her back to her bed, practically begging/threatening/bribing to get her to finally knock off. After the trip, we were at my folks for a few weeks sharing a room with Andy. She was refusing to go to bed and instead would immediately pop out to find us. Even after she finally went to sleep, she'd occasionally wake up and trot through the Jack and Jill bathroom to get to us. Lack of sleep on my part combined with sheer frustration of the situation were making me seriously batty.

Now that we're in the new house, we got a baby gate to keep her in her room. Our bedroom is downstairs and her's is up so I worry about her roaming the halls at night and falling down the stairs. Plus, she really needs to get back to going to bed at a decent time/pace. After a little over a week in the new regimen, the results are mixed. She does eventually go to sleep in her own bed, sometimes with one of us rubbing her back, other times not. Bjorn's apoplectic about it (I'm only marginally less so) as she screams and cries so loud, she also made herself throw up, until she just wears herself down and finally nods off.

Even with that, she's crying out sometime in the early morning (say between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m.) and ending up in our bed. Thoughts on how to fix this, short of simply drinking more?

Kindergarten

Andy starts school next week. REAL school. I am psyched, and not just because I won't have to pay $200 a week in daycare. I am psyched for him to be going to a real school and starting to read and all the fun stuff that comes from elementary school. The whole thing seems a little surreal. I went by to register him and I swear it even smelled like an elementary school. Good thing I have good memories of elementary school. Middle school, well, not so much, but I really did love elementary school. When I wasn't crying and wailing about being forced to go, that is.

The downside of this will be now school is mandatory. Before, we could just blow off a week for vacation or skip a day because I was off and wanted to play. Now it will be harder, plus I'll need to set the example that school isn't optional, it's really important. It's also going to be different because unlike daycare where you can quit if you don't like it, public school isn't really like that. Plus, he'll have to be at school at an exact time every day. Punctuality isn't especially my strong suit.

Any tips on helping make the transition easier for all of us?

Settling in

Oomph. After the initial thrill and excitement of getting moved in, my interest in further unpacking and sorting is definitely on the wane. So much has been done and so much is still left to be done, like putting books away, sorting through linens and putting the kitchen stuff to use in a way that makes sense to our lifestyle. I was so used to where everything went in my old kitchen that's it's going to take some time to assess it and figure out what makes sense where.

A nice problem to have is that we have a three-car garage now. It's the natural entry point into the house from the garage into the laundry room that leads to the kitchen. Unfortunately, there are lots of empty boxes out there now so it's less useful than it could be. Plus, the movers somehow misplaced the screws to put Andy's bed back together. If you recall, he's got a cool loft bed from Ikea. I love it and, it would be perfect for his new room. Sadly the movers broke it into it's original parts and the bolts to put it back together are missing. I am holding out hope that they're somewhere in the mess in the garage and that once Mark breaks down the boxes, I'll find them. Otherwise, I'm going to have to see if  Ikea will see me 50 replacement pieces.

Both kids started a new daycare/preschool this week. Meg did great the first day, not so much the other two days, which makes me sad. Although Andy won't need aftercare (yet) due to my current work schedule, I wanted him to get familiar with it should he need to go on occasion. Also, I wanted him to meet a couple of kids that will be going to his elementary school. Getting back to some schedule is going to be a good thing. Meg especially is staying up too late (mostly because she won't go to bed). She transitioned out of her crib while we were on vacation so I got a baby gate to keep her in her room. I worried about locking her in, but her room is on the second floor and I fear her roaming around half awake looking for me. I did ask the doctor about it first who said it was fine. Of course, she now goes in her room and wails loudly about wanting to get out, but that'll settle down eventually, right? Right?

Andy starts kindergarten a week from Monday. Wow.

And we're moved in

The second set of move came on Thursday and took all our stuff from Public Storage to the new house. Naturally it was 103 that day so it was nice and roasty. The packers had stuff labeled but it was confusing what was "bedroom 1" and what was "bedroom 2." Was that counting from the top of the stairs at the old house or from the master down? As a result, stuff somewhat ended up all over. The trickiest was thinking about the old basement -- half that stuff went into the new office and the other half was toys, games and Wii  accessories that are going into the game room (or "Texas basement" as I heard someone call it."

Although it was still a wreck, we managed to unpack enough sheets and clothes to sleep here the first night. I had intended to go back to my folks' place, but once we were here, I didn't want to leave!


Mark and Jennifer arrived late last night from Virginia, Mark permanently and Jennifer just for a visit. They have been amazing to help entertain the kids and unpack. As a result, we're probably 75 percent done with the boxes. Stunning actually how far along we are. Verizon came today and we now have TV, phone and Internet. Without a radio, I was listening to the intercom radio on the top 40 (or top 12 station). As a result, I know the words to all the latest Lady Gaga, Eminem and Katy Perry songs.

I will post pictures, once I find my camera and the cords that attach them to the computer.

We did it!

After years of talking about it and months of planning, we are finally moving into our new house. I know, I can't really believe it either. We went over tonight to check it out (the previously owner technically had until 10 p.m. tonight, but Bjorn stopped by during the day to see that it was totally empty. Score!) Bjorn picked up dinner and we ate before taking a swim. Considering it was 104 today and it was our new house, it was pretty darn perfect. Sure, I'm terrified of the kids being near the pool without me and I'm plotting how I'm going to better secure it, but after years of schlepping to the pool with all our gear, it was so incredibly nice to just go in the back yard and go swimming.

Right now, the house doesn't seem like it's twice as big as our old house, but once the furniture comes tomorrow, I have a feeling we'll see how big it is. Yippee!

So who is coming to visit?


Commonwealth Swim Club, I won't miss schlepping our noodles over to you. You may have been across the street, but that can be a long way with two cranky kids.

One step closer

Big day today -- we close on the new house this afternoon. Granted, we can't move in until next Wednesday evening at the earliest, BUT we are (almost) one step closer. Bjorn called yesterday and got all our utilities set up and I have settled on a childcare center for the kids. I have them starting a week from Monday. Andy will only have two weeks at "camp" until school starts, but I want him to get a chance to meet a couple of kids who will go to his new school so at least he knows someone before he starts.

I kind of can't believe it!

On the go

Oh heavens. The last few weeks have been so crazy I'm not exactly sure where to start. So here are the highlights:
1) We spent two weeks in Hobart, Sydney and Melbourne, Australia.
2) We flew back to Dallas and put an offer on a house. Despite multiple offers, we got it!
3) I flew back to Washington to finish out a week of work and pack up the house.
4) The kids and Bjorn stayed in Dallas with my folks who have been amazing.
5) The kids started a new preschool/camp where my sister teaches and her kids go.
6) With the help of awesome friends and family (and paid professionals), I got the house packed and moved. 
7) Bjorn flew in and we drove my minivan with the two cats 1,300 miles to Dallas in two days with a stayover in the less than glamorous Dickson, Tennessee.
8) Our house back in Virginia closed.
9) I started working from home as a 25 hour a week part-time employee.

Yeah, I think that's the highlights. Pictures to come later. We also close on our new McMansion next Wednesday and move in the Wednesday after that. Yeah, it's been a busy summer.

House!

And we have a house! Check it out. I am not sure we can afford to air condition it, but we certainly have room for visitors. I hope you're planning your trip.

Tasmanian Devil

And we're back from the most amazing vacation ever -- two weeks in Australia visiting Sydney, Hobart, Port Arthur and Melbourne. What's most amazing is that we did it with two little kids. Andy for the most part was fine and seemed to really get a lot out of it, except when he was whining, insisting on watching more My Little Pony and refusing to eat anything. Meg was a different matter. She insisted I hold her most of the time and seemed only be consoled by me. Flattering, yes, but not so much at three in the morning.

The trip overall was amazing. Qantas Airlines is quite a step above the American airlines. Seriously. They are like the good American airliners from 10 years ago, they served meals on every flight, were clean and even offered special kids toys to keep them entertained. I was impressed.

We spent three days in Sydney at the beginning and got to see my uncle, nephew, and aunt who live in Turramurra. We stayed in a hotel near Hyde Park and was within walking distance to the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbor. It was cool. We took the ferry one day to Tarronga Zoo. The zoo itself was swarming with people, half under constructions plus the kids were still cranky from the travel, but the ferry ride on the harbor was amazing. I think I took a dozen photos. With the jet lag, we were waking up at 4 in the morning, which was handy with World Cup matches on at that early hour.

Afterward, we caught a flight to Hobart, Tasmania, where we met up with my parents, both my sisters (no nieces though) for the Egan Clan Rally. It was pretty awesome. We were staying in two bedroom flats so it was great fun to catch up with everyone at the bar or in another room. Bjorn and I bought some gin on our way into the country which served us well. After the first day of the rally where we toured the City Hall and Parliament House (Hobart is the state capital), we headed to Port Arthur, home of one of Australia's most famous prisons (and also site of a sad and deadly shooting a dozen years ago that is still painful for the area like Columbine). We got to ride another boat around Stewart's Bay. I've never seen such clear ocean water. We also saw seals (well, a seal)! Pretty awesome. Mom found us these amazing little cabins near Port Arthur where we went out one night for some great star gazing. Fortunately, Mary was there to help use her geoscience background to tell us about the southern hemisphere. I swear I've never seen such bright stars. It was like we were in a planetarium they were so close to touch.

Afterwards, we were back in Hobart for some lectures on genealogy and more festivities and the big banquet that included lots of photos from when Mom and Dad hosted the rally in Dallas in 2006. Before departing Hobart, we had dinner with our hosts at their home built turn of the century. It was pretty amazing to see a private residence, much less one that had so much history. Before leaving, Bjorn rented a car and we got to visit the Zoo Doo outside Richmond, Tasmania, where we got to feed and pet wallabies and kangaroos. I loved it. We also got to watch Tasmanian Devils at feeding. Ugly little creatures, they are.

We then headed to Melbourne for a few days before catching our flight back to the U.S. My uncle and nephew also came down from Sydney to see the rest of the family. We also went out to the home of another Egan rally member who lives outside of town. They have six grown kids, and three were at the house that night with their families. It was so warm and inviting. My kids also had playmates their own age for a night. They loved it. And we all loved getting to talk to their kids who are our age about what life is like with kids in Australia.

There were some funny things about the country.

* There are a remarkable lack of trash cans. A hotel room with two bedrooms and a kitchenette might have one tiny powder room sized trash can for the entire room.
* The country doesn't seem to believe in napkins. We would order dinner and they would bring like one cocktail napkin for the whole table. If you asked for more, you might get one more, maybe two.
*  The sizing on clothes was wacky. Granted, Bjorn is not petite, but the men's XXLs in Australia would fit me.
* Everything is abbreviated. Australia is Aussie, Tasmania is Tassie, football is footy. The best though? McDonald's is Mackers.
* The country is incredibly diverse. I would say half the people we saw in Melbourne and Sydney were of Asian or Middle Eastern descent.
* There was no Foster's beer served anywhere. When I asked someone about it, they laughed. Apparently it's a big joke that it's for export only and is pretty much considered crap beer locally.
* In Australia, apparently service in restaurants is optional. I know we're rude Americans, but we had two encounters where the wait staff thought we were "rude" for inquiring about our dinner. I thought it was sort of hilarious actually.
* Otherwise, the country was incredibly friendly. People would help strangers carry strollers up the subway steps and practically everyone we met was excited for us to be there and wanted to help however they could.

Traveling with family was in some ways a pain trying to coordinate the needs and wants of a group of eight, but in general, it was really awesome to do it all together.

Post No. 398568 about my kids' sleep habits

One of the things no one tells you about having kids is that for the next 10 years, you will talk about sleep. The thing about it is, I really like it. And I really don't like it when the kids decide I don't need it.

Case is point, Meg is too big for her crib now. She can get out of it (and/or throw herself out of it) so it's time. I knew this which is why months ago I bought a big girl bed for her that she promptly refused to sleep in. Then the house went on the market and the toddler bed went into the attic. But now, she and I are having a stand off about it. Last Thursday she cried and wailed and threw herself out of the bed finally in a stand off that lasted hours. I finally got her to sleep on my bed and then transferred her to her room where the crib mattress was on the floor. Around 5 a.m., she "fell out of bed" and wailed and wailed. I picked her up and brought her into my bed where she proceeded to kick me and flop her head on my boobs for about two hours.

Tonight, I tried to get both kids to sleep in Andy's room. He's got an adorable loft bed and the bottom bunk is really just a mattress on the floor. Perfect. I started bedtime around 8:30. We read two books and then left. I tried this for about 45 minutes until Meg kept getting out of bed. I tried to take her back into her crib and she pretty much hooked a leg on the crib rail before I could get her in there so I knew that wouldn't work. I took the mattress out and put it on the floor. She cried for a bit once she realized I have a baby lock on the door handle preventing her escape. I told her I was going to lock up and I would come check on her in five minutes. Ten minutes later, she was asleep. Phew!

The bonus of this whole exercise? Andy went to sleep before 10. Sadly, he hasn't done that in a long time.

Oh, and speaking of sleep, props to Jennifer. She babysat the kids while I flew to Dallas and I believe graciously helped fix them. She also took them to the mall for Pillow Pets. I can't believe I actually bought something because of an annoying ad during kids TV shows, but they are really pretty cool.

The 36-hour adventure, or why buying a house is harder than it looks

I flew to Dallas on Friday for a 36-hour trip so I could look at the finalists in the house hunt and hopefully make an offer on something. It was quite the whirlwind. It didn't help that Meg had decidedas  sleeping in her crib is for babies and under penalty of death or Benadryl she is not going to stay in there. That meant I was going on like six hours sleep for the whole thing. I know, no pressure there.

It was so cool to look at the houses though. We have found a neighborhood we like with great schools and apparently a very good football team (it is Texas, ya'll). My biggest complaint is apparently Texas wants to put the master bedroom on the first floor. That might be fine if the kids were six and nine, but with Meg and Andy both still getting up too often for my taste and the thought of them also falling down the stairs at 3 a.m. doesn't thrill me. It also has wallpaper -- the bane of my existence. After spending seven years here removing wallpaper, I vowed never to do it again. And then I fell in love with a four bedroom, four bath with a pool, a study and a three car garage. It will be heaven. Assuming we can negotiate a deal. You know, before we leave for a two week trip on the other side of the world.

The whole thing is coming together. Well, at least the big pieces like the jobs and selling our house (fingers crossed it closes!) Things we still have to do include buying a house, packing and moving. I swear, we've talked to a dozen movers and each one seems crazier and more expensive than the rest.