Little Sister's Favorite Things

Little Sister will officially turn 2 1/2 on October 12th. We are going to celebrate her half birthday this coming weekend. In honor of the event, I am updating her list of favorite things. Preferences do change over time, especially when you are TWO.

Favorite Things

1) Thomas the Train
2) Choo Choos of any kind
3) Cookie Monster
4) Cookies (especially from our local bakery)
5) Going to play school every day (a.k.a. Montessori)
6) Yogurt, especially banana yogurt
7) Mac & Cheese
8) Baths, especially bubble baths
9) Wearing her blue pajamas
10) Momma

In case you are wondering, here are 10 things LS hates:

1) Vegetables of every kind
2) Pooping on the potty (not the most pleasant subject)
3) Having her hair washed
4) When her whining doesn't work
5) Time-outs
6) Being without her blankie
7) Getting her hands dirty
8) Scary stuff (like puppets or clowns)
9) Sharing her toys
10) Sharing Momma

Deep into the Terrific Twos!

Yes, my friends, we are deep into the terrible , er, um, terrific twos! Little sister literally whines, demands, gets angry, and then cries all day long. Whatever her sister or I have, she wants it. The item could be a glass of water, toy, pen, cell phone, etc. It goes something like this....

LS: (Seeing Mommy using a pen), "Pen?"

ME: I will get you a pencil in a minute.

LS: "No, pen."

ME: "Wait just a minute, and I will get you a pencil."

LS: "No, pen, pen, pen, pen, pen....."

ME: "Stop whining and demanding now. If you stop, I will get you a pencil. No pens."

LS: (Getting visably angry) "Pen, pen, pen, pen, pen....."

ME: You are going to have a time-out until you stop whining and demanding things.

It goes on all day long, and for the record, I don't always deny her something, especially food or drink, but she is completely impatient and wants to be catered to 24/7. I know it's the age, but it can be exhausting. On the bright side, her sense of humor keeps me laughing, and for that I am very thankful.

Weekly Update

THE KIDS:

My girls started Montessori this past week. Big Sister, who adapts well to anything, did fine. She still attends public kindergarten, but goes to the Montessori afterward for enrichment. Little Sister who doesn't like change or transitions, did remarkably well overall. She did a few crying outbursts throughout the week, but they were relatively short, and the teachers reported that she did eat and sleep with the other kids.

MY JOB:

For those of us who teach, we know that our profession is not a high-paying one, but we go into it to make a difference. At least that's what I did. For the first time in my teaching career, I feel like I am accomplishing that goal. I am working with mostly minority students (who will soon be the majority). Most of my students are Hispanic in grades 6-8. I also have a few Asian, Caucasian, and Arabic. The diversity of staff and students is a wonderful, positive experience.

First Day of Kindergarten Photos - August 27th

Childcare Update

When Plan A and B don't work out, what do you do? You switch to Plan C of course. That's where I am now. I have found it to be extremely difficult to hire a full-time nanny. The majority of potentials that I spoke to want a lot of money to watch your kids. Their fee can range anywhere from $10 - $25 per hour, depending upon your neighborhood, their experience, and the number of children you have. The other issue is trust. Can you truly trust someone who isn't a friend or relative to be alone for 9-10 hours a day with your children? It's not easy which is why I have decided to send my kids to Montessori. Big Sister will attend Montessori after kindergarten at her elementary school, and Little Sister will go there from 9-4 each day. I have hired a full-time, early-morning nanny to get the kids dressed and ready for their day. She will give them breakfast and take one to her bus stop, and the other to daycare. Even better, this nanny already works for my sister from 9:30 to 3:30 p.m. M-F. I am feeling much better this weekend. Thanks for all your prayers and encouragement.

She's Gone!

I fired Mona this weekend. When I called to tell her, she didn't seem to care. I think that just goes along with her overall blase attitude about life. I spent my Labor Day weekend interviewing more potential nannies, and narrowed it down to two potentials, one I really like a lot. I am going to call for references tomorrow and see what happens. In the meantime, our summer babysitter and her mom are going to help me out with the kids until I find a caring, responsible nanny for my kids.