Big week at our house… our oldest started his first year of preschool!  Now we are a family that doesn’t do well with routine, often don’t even know what day of the week it is and definitely don’t follow a “structure”. School although fun (mainly because it means a little shopping to prepare) is a bit daunting for all of us.  My son is shy, and although he loves to play he gets overwhelmed in social settings and is a bit of a homebody, my middle daughter has gone from being super independent to having big separation anxiety from mama!  And really to top it all off we rarely get organized enough to be out of the house by say 10ish and are a family of morning sleepy heads.

So, first week so far:  Tuesday was a full day of preschool for Rowen (2.5 hours) and it actually could not have gone any better.  We had not prepared with groceries so I threw whatever peanut free and healthy snacks I had together for him for school and got in to the car to find the tank on empty and no number of KM’s flashing (which is the start of an empty tank and usually means I can push it another 50-75km’s), but it was just the three little dots signalling it was beyond empty!  And we were already running behind… oh plus my super cute Mabel’s Labels I had ordered for all his school stuff had not arrived yet so I had nothing ready to go! #1 MOM, off to a great start!

However we made it to school without running out of gas only to find we were the first ones there (shocking) and no one had all the supplies organized so we fit right in!  Rowen wouldn’t sit still long enough for a great picture but he was willing to wear clothes and shoes (which in our world is huge!).   I did find out later he attempted to take off his shoes about 5 times (or more) through out the day at school, but he came home with them on so I will take the wins where I can. I took him in and helped him unpack only to look back and see him with his cousin happily building blocks. My mom heart could not be happier. He had his friend and his toys and was so happy he didn’t even notice me.

We all want to be wanted, but at the end of the day our goal is to raise an independent adult and him being able to find his friends, sit and entertain and interact is all a part of this growing up into an independent adult. So as bittersweet as it was to see him so well adjusted I was so proud!  Tomorrow is the second day and now that he knows I leave I am not sure how he will react but I gotta say this routine stuff seems to be suiting his almost three year old mature self. He is doing stuff just a couple of months ago I couldn’t imagine him doing. Plus my labels came, I have all his supplies ready and his snacks are packed. We are already past the halfway mark of the week and we have survivied so far!

As for poor Grace, she loved preschool!   It meant Rowen was gone and she could steal his undies and wear them (strange pleasures), and she had free run of the TV choices, toys and fort building!   The girl was so happy, she had mom and dad almost all to herself (lets not forget about Eleanor).  I thought she would be sad but she was just excited and happy to see her brother when he got home (I am sure the donut he brought her had nothing to do with it).

Today was their first swim lessons, now both kids have had two sets of leisure center parented lessons but since we have three kids under three we decided the parented lessons were a bit much for us so we wanted to try a private unparented lesson (plus we are hoping to be in Maui for a month to start of 2018 and might as well get the kids prepped for fun in the water!).  I had Rowen go in first and he was so excited he could barely contain himself, Coach J was amazing and so great with Rowen I left so confident and excited.  Also feeling okay about the millions (not actually but close to) we had spent on these lessons!  Then it was Graces turn, when Rowen saw us come to get him he started crying and then it might have set off Grace, the switch of kids for lessons did not go as great as I had planned. Rowen quickly recovered and came very happily with me to get dried and dressed but I of course could hear my little Gracie’s cries from the change room. The lessons are only half an hour so we walked outside and came back to pick up Grace. She was fairly worked up. I did sneak a little peak in the pool and she wasn’t doing anything scary or unusual in the pool.  I think her little separation anxiety got the worst of her, poor babes.  Coach J said it is common and only takes a couple lessons before she learns that Mom didn’t leave and is coming back.  By the time we got to the car she had settled and all of the family was happy again…  hump day is over and we are on our way to the weekend, thank god.

I am not sure who this week has been hardest on, new routines and changes are always a bit of an adjustment!  I am happy to say I have already made it to the gym twice this week and have two more classes to go, so that is another win. Just trying to focus on one day at a time and not get too far ahead of ourselves here… when did life get so busy?  Not even fall yet and I am already wishing it was summer again.  Hope your week has gone well, would love to hear how your family copes with changes and routines!