It's a cylinder

As I noted in the previous post, Collin got M&Ms today.  We started with a regular bag from the check-out line.  Then Collin spotted the aisles of halloween candy and we just had to go look there before a final decision could be made.  And that's when he saw it, a cylinder of M&Ms.

And that's what HE called it.  A cylinder, really??  So, I quickly responded by asking him how on earth he knew that.  He said, it was a small cylinder, but still a cylinder.  I repeated my question.  Collin informs me that Martian Mickey uses a cylinder to help the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse gang get back to earth.  Who knew????  Dare I say pre-school television just might be educational.

What a difference a week makes...

...or maybe it was the bribe of M&Ms. 
If you are keeping up you know that Collin's first soccer game was quite traumatic.  So, needless to say, we spent all week talking about soccer, and how to play it.  When he had friends over a couple of days ago I even found myself telling him that we do not take things from other people, unless we are playing soccer.  Ha!! 
We even watched a professional soccer game on television so that I could point out to him how the "big boys" were playing the game.  He sat and watched, and even noted that none of them were crying.  His coach spent some time in practice having the kids steal the ball from each other and then she stole the ball from them.  Just to make sure the concept was sinking in I told him he could have M&Ms if he could make it through the whole game with no tears.
Well, it was more than just no tears, he played almost the entire game, did the kick-off, threw the ball in and SCORED 2 GOALS!!!  It was great!  He was having a blast!  He even told me at half-time that he was playing so much his legs were hurting.  That boy deserved a trophy for his improvement from last week, but he had his heart set on the M&Ms.  So, after his snack (if you've ever been around toddler sports you know how important the after game snack is), we went to Target for some M&Ms AND a chocolate bar.  Even though only one was promised they were both well earned.
WAY TO GO COLLIN!!!  Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you!

You'll have to excuse the mom's commentary in the video :)

 

Drama, Trama

The only way to describe this picture is the calm before the storm, or better yet, the smiles before the tears. 
Collin's first soccer game was Saturday and it was nothing if it wasn't dramatic.  I knew the actual game would be difficult regardless of how well he did in practice.  We had the advantage of having watched Collin's best buddy, Joseph, during his first soccer season this past spring.  Practices always went off without a hitch and the games, well, the games were full of tears and stomps and hurt feelings.  It all goes back to one of my previous posts; competitive sports go against everything a child is taught from the moment he begins to interact with others.
Needless to say Collin was super excited about this game.  He loved his jersey and thought it was even cooler that Joseph had one exactly the same.  The weather was perfect for a fall game and his grandparents and great-grandmother had come up for the weekend just to watch him play.  He lined up with 3 of teammates, the whistle blew and the ball was taken (by the other team).  This was ok at first, Collin was fine with them having a turn first, but when he got the ball and it was kicked away from him, it was not ok anymore.  The tears rolled and he didn't even want to try to get it back.   So, off to the sidelines for a little pep talk, back in the game and the cycle starts again.  Thus went his 45 minute game.
In his defense, he was not the only child crying on the field.  As a matter of fact I think there were more children who were crying than not crying.  I think it's just going to take some time for him to understand all of the double standards and nuances of "polite society."  It's ok to steal the ball on the field, but not on the playground.  It's ok to run into someone on the field, but not in your classroom.  You should be aggressive on the field, but greatly temper that aggression everywhere else.  And the list goes on, and on.
So, when the Manchester United game came on this afternoon, after the football game, I decided we should watch.  Collin thought it was really cool that they were playing his sport on TV.  I pointed out everytime the ball was "stolen" from someone.  I noted that everyone was trying to get the ball to the goal.  I showed him how no one used his hands.  After a few minutes of taking all of this in he says, "and none of them are crying."  Oh, break my heart.  But I acknowledged that none of them were crying, that they just ran super fast to get the ball back. 
In the end, my little guy did pretty well while he was in there, and I think he will really enjoy it once he gets the hang of it.  Until then every moment is a teaching moment.  Right now he is super excited about next week's game, as long as that "red team" isn't there.    

Playdates

I am not sure when I first heard the term playdate.  I am quite certain I did not have a child and that it was in reference to my friends (who also did not have children) getting their dogs together.  I didn't have a dog at the time either, so I didn't pay it much attention.  As I entered the stage of my life when more and more of my friends had children I began to hear this term used in reference to getting children together.  While it all made sense, the significance of it was lost on me, until I became a stay-at-home mom (please note I didn't just say mom).

The older Collin gets the more difficult it is to keep him engaged, learning and tired at the end of the day.  Add to that a pregnant mommy who needs more nap time than he does and somedays are quite interesting.  So, in an effort to keep his schedule full we are trying to have at least one playdate a week.  This is preferably on a non-school day, so as to help fill the down-time.  Mind you, I don't think it is my responsibility to entertain my child every moment of his life, or to even provide entertainment opportunities for every moment of his life.  However, I do think it is my responsibility to provide him with opportunities to learn, socialize and expend some energy, on a regular basis. 

We have had playdates before, just not that often.  Before I stayed home Collin was in a daycare during the day and had more than enough playtime with others, especially for a little guy.  He was only 18 months old when I decided to leave work, and at that point was pretty easy to "engage" and keep busy.  Now, it's a whole new story.  I am looking for every opportunity I can find to have him learn, play, run, socialize and be outdoors.

The most interesting thing I have learned about playdates is that they are as much for the mommies as they are for the children.  When you find yourself as your child's only companion, and equally as bad that he/she may be your only (day-time) companion you begin to look for opportunities to be around other adults during the day.  The beauty of a playdate is that it is actually a "playdate" for everyone.  I can have an adult conversation, Collin can play with someone other than me or by himself.  I can enjoy a cup of coffee with a friend and without a child wanting to sit with (on, near....) me.  Collin can run and play and yell and chatter with someone who loves to do those same things just as much as he does.  So, as a stay-at-home mom, who has desperately done everything in my power not to be a stereotypical stay-at-home mom I have joined the thousands (probably way more than that) of moms who absolutely love playdates.   

Sunday, Sunday

We were both dressed up, and had a willing photographer.  So, here we are (technically, all 3 of us) at church.

And this is as "baby bump" as you get, at least for now.

First Day of Preschool

Friday was Collin's first day of 3-year-old preschool.  He was so excited to see some of his friends from last year and meet new ones.  He was all smiles and ready to go.

Usually, Collin is dropped off in a carpool line, but for the first day of school (inspite of his objections) Mom had to walk him in.  He barely had the patience to stand still for a picture.  Fortunately, he has already learned how to humor me, most of the time.

Finally it was to the classroom with his new teacher, Mrs. Segebarth (yes, he can pronounce her name).  She helped him with his bookbag.

Then, came the instructions on their morning routine.  He was shown his cubby, and told where to put his things for the day. 

And mom was out.  I didn't want to disrupt the classroom routine, and of course one of his friends from last year got to school and Collin was off to play.

He had a great first day (from what I hear) and here's hoping for a wonderful year!

Soccer Mom

I am officially a Soccer Mom!!  I'm not sure I could have ever dreamed I would be here, but, SUV and all, I went with Collin to his very first practice.  It was hysterical and he LOVED it!!  5 toddlers were able to focus and listen for 45 minutes.  They were sweaty and dirty and tired by the end.  And oh so excited.  The only issue they may have will be at game time, when there is only ONE ball.  See, as parents, we teach our children to share and not to take things from other people.  Then, we sign them up for sports and don't understand why they get upset and cry when someone takes the ball away from them.  It must be horribly confusing for them.  So, at practice, each child has his/her own ball, and all works pretty well.  We'll see how it goes at game time :)