February

Well, at least one of this year's mysteries has been solved- we know where Eliza is going to kindergarten!  I won't say which school it is, just in case more than 3 people are reading this blog, but at least 2 of our readers also attended this elementary school back in the day! ;) Her transfer request was accepted, which means we don't have to move and that Eliza will be at a wonderful little school we just love.  Yesterday she and I accompanied friends to "Poetry Night" at the school library.  E got to meet the school librarian and 2 more kids who will be attending kindergarten there.  It was fun to watch her body language change the minute we walked through the doors.  She was excited and her head held high, although she did say, "Wow, there are a lot of kids here," a bit apprehensively.  I drove both Eliza and her friend C to the school and C used Ezra's car seat.  I said something about adjusting the straps because Ezra is chubby and Eliza said, "Yeah, he even has to wear fat shoes."  She meant wide size but it cracked me up. 

We have decisions to make about Ezra's schooling as well.  He got a much coveted (150 toddlers on the waitlist just for his class!) spot at a nearby preschool.  I love our current preschool (took us 2 years to get in off the waitlist there initially!) but it's closed a lot (5 or 6 weeks of the year).  So, I toured this place when I heard we had a spot.  The quality of the schools seem similar but attending this new school would be a lot easier in some ways.  All food is provided by the school; it's not a co-op so much less parent involvement is required.  It would be more convenient.  But I wonder- is easier better?  Do I really want to be less involved in his life?  Yesterday I was helping out for a bit at his current school.  His teacher went home sick.  The floater teacher was also helping and I realized I could tell her almost everything necessary about the kids in his class.  I know who goes to sleep with a sippy cup of milk, which music everyone listens to at nap time, which kids will bite each other when they hide in the corner (that would be Ez and his BFF Jamey), etc.  It's impossible to have that same dynamic at this new, much larger school.  So, I have a feeling we'll stay where we are.  We love that little community, even if it is a lot work to balance everything. 

Ezra is putting 2 and 3 words together now, mainly things like "Go play!" "Get down"  "Let's go!" "I don't know."  He loves to close things and say, "Closed!" over and over.  He likes putting things away (and usually dumping things out again.)  He likes to do wild things and raise his eyebrows in surprise, then look at you to make sure you're watching.  Once he catches your glance, he gives a huge smile and it's so hard not to smile back when he's doing something dangerous but he looks so proud.  He's constantly covered in scrapes in bruises.  I just got some kids' scar prevention medicine because he needs it already!  After a great 7 hour trip to Oklahoma to see our favorite cousins, we learned that he's still a pretty terrible road tripper.  He hates to be confined.  He gives sweet sweet hugs and then 2 seconds later smacks you in the head with a block.  He keeps us on our toes, for sure! 

Dentist Part Two

Well, I certainly don't have any happy dentist pictures from this go around.  Eliza was totally calm going in, but then things took a turn for the worst.  Turns out she needed a crown and a filling.  They needed to sedate her.  I couldn't be in the room.  I did watch from behind a window at one point and it was really weird to see her all out of it with her mouth propped open.  The dentist and assistant both said she did amazingly well and was very calm.  Thank goodness.  As soon as she saw me though, she totally lost it.  Like, screaming and kicking full on tantrum like I've never seen before.  Eight different staff members came out of their offices to see what was going on.  The dentist said extreme anger was one of the ways some kids respond to anesthesia.  That's an understatement.  It was like something out of the exorcist.  The staff were offering all sorts of things to calm her down, water, tylenol, popcicles.  She wanted none of it.  I carried her out of the office over my shoulder, still thrashing around.  She was yelling all sorts of things like, "This is nonsense!"  "This is all your fault!"  "I can't close my mouth!"  "I can't swallow!"  "If you would've flossed my teeth this wouldn't have happened!"  (Ouch).  The thrashing was so bad that as I carried her across the parking lot, a police officer stopped and got out of his car.  I said, "I swear, she just had dental work done.  I'm not kidnapping her or anything."  He looked at the pediatric dentist sign, nodded and left.  Whew.  It's a good thing she looks just like me. 

She thrashed and screamed like that for about 30 minutes.  Once I got her in the carseat though, it was almost funny.  I made a recording of some of it, so S could see the full effect.  After 30 minutes, she suddenly stopped and said, "How did we get here?" and smiled.  Then she was like a drunk sorority girl, falling down in the bathroom when she tried to pull her pants up, giggling hysterically.  What a trip.  Thank goodness we don't have to go back for 6 months.