Barrett's First Day of Mother's Day Out

As you know I've been taking Barrett to work with me since he was 5 weeks old.  Luckily he is so laid back that it has been working perfectly.  My boss is amazing and I'm pretty sure he likes Barrett more than me.  When I was pregnant I knew I didn't want to work full time and I knew that daycare wasn't going to be an option with my current job because I would have barely been making enough to cover the cost.  My boss said I could bring him at first and we could just see how it went.  Well almost 20 months later I'm still taking him with me.  I'm so thankful that this has worked out.  I love working because it gets me out of the house and I get to be creative while making a little money to help support my shopping habits my little family.  I also am blessed to pretty much make my schedule each week so we can still have play dates with friends and that kind of fun stuff.  It really is the best of both worlds.  

I was talking to a friend this summer and she was talking about putting her son in Mother's Day Out and her son and Barrett are about 6 months apart but they have always played really well together.  She was talking about how she couldn't leave her son anywhere because he was so attached to her, which we were having the same problems. Patrick and I started talking about it and praying about it.  Barrett still does great at my office but he's starting to not want to be confined for 6 hours a day and who would.  So we made the decision to enroll him in a local program.  It's two days a week from 8:30-12:30 and it's 5 minutes from my office.  So I'm able to drop him off and go to work and then go pick him up and go back to work.  I knew it would be good for him to be away from me for a little bit of time each week.  It would also be good for him to learn to take direction from someone other than family.  I knew it would be good for me also to let go a little and to trust someone else with my son.  Our early intervention coordinator and speech therapist also said it would be good for him to be around other kids.  So I know this is the right thing to do right now.

Today was his first day since he was sick last week.  It went about as well as you'd think.

This pretty much sums up the morning. Ha! 

He was very skeptical of my picture taking.

He likes wearing his backpack.

Trying to get a good picture of him before we left.

This is the best I could get with him holding his sign.  (It was so humid my lens started fogging up.)

Patrick was off today so he went with us to drop him off.  They have a car line but we had to go in the first day to fill out the paper work.  Patrick held him and I'm glad he did because I don't think I would have been able to put him down while he was upset.  He did fine playing while we were in the room talking to his teacher.  We could tell something was up when we left the classroom to put him in the bye bye buggy for the morning stroll.  His friend Drake was there and we put him in the buggy beside him and he started crying.  Then Drake started crying.  It was awful.  His sweet teachers assured me they would both be fine and she immediately took them on a ride.  It was heartbreaking.  The funniest part was the other two kids were just looking at them like, "get it together kids, it's not so bad, your mommies are going to come back to get you."  I wanted to sit in my car until it was time to pick him up.  I knew he would be fine.  He does that when I leave him with anyone.  But it doesn't really make it any easier.  They sent me a picture about 15 minutes later and he was fine and playing.  I was so thankful.  Before I knew it, it was time to go pick him up.  His teacher brought him out to my car and he was happy to see me but he was trying to act like he was mad at me.  It was pretty funny.  She said he did great and he and Drake played together.  He ate his whole sandwich at lunch and barely used his paci.  I was so happy.  When I got back to work my boss asked him if he had fun at school and he said, "no".  I'm glad he did good, I hope drop off gets easier.  I'm already dreading it on Wednesday.

Weekend Review

We had a slow, lazy week and a rather productive weekend.  Barrett was sick all week.  We went to the office on Tuesday but I could tell he still didn't feel well.

He started running a fever Tuesday too. So Wednesday we were headed to the doctors office.  It was just a virus of some sort but he felt pretty crummy all week.
Thursday was more of the same.  He wanted to be held all week long.  Which I did, all week long.  He was finally fever free on Friday so we went to work.  I needed to get some things done.  We were so sad that he had to miss the first week of Mother's Day Out. Saturday John and Hope came to my parents house to visit.  Barrett and I went to see them.  He still wasn't 100%.  He wouldn't let anyone hold him and he wouldn't eat a zebra cake.  Champ (my sister's dog) was staying with my parents while they were on vacation.  He had a little accident Saturday morning.  He busted through the dining room window chasing a cat and he cut his leg pretty good so they had to take him to vet. He came home while we were there.  It was pitiful.   Hanging out in Uncle John's truck after lunch. Before                           After I marked one thing off my August goal list.  I got the pantry cleaned out and organized and now we have a place to keep our bags.  Also I should probably buy some groceries.  After I finished the pantry, I cleaned out the laundry room and a cabinet.  I felt so productive!
Sunday I went to Mass and then to Kristen's Grammy's house to layout and swim.  It was so nice.  I was glad we were able to hang out and catch up.   Today was Barrett's first day of school.  I've got a whole post coming...it was rough.

Week in Review

We've been trying to soak up this last week of "summer".  School started back here last week so we feel like summer is over.  Barrett is starting Mother's Day Out two days a week this week so we'll have a more structured week now.  I'm excited for him and a little sad at the same time.  I know he'll love it and it'll be good for both of us.

One day last week Anna and Drake invited us over to swim at her father-in-law's house.  Brittany brought the two boys she keeps and we had a blast.  Drake and Barrett are going to be in the same class at MDO.  I'm happy they'll have each other the first few days.

Friday night Kristen treated me to a pedicure for my birthday.  It was fun to relax and catch up.  I got a really bright color but it didn't show up in pictures.  

Saturday Barrett got up bright and early and we ran some errands to get him a few things he needed for school.  We came home and took naps to get ready for an afternoon filled with birthday parties.  We had two outdoor swimming/water parties and of course when we got in the car it started pouring rain and lightening.   We went to Tucker's party first and we left there and headed to Cooper's party.  Barrett had more fun climbing the stairs all around the pool than he did swimming in the pool.  He was super clingy all day but I just assumed it was because he was in a crowd all day.  Well we got home and before I could change my clothes he got sick.  We thought it was maybe that all he'd eaten for most of the day was cake and ice cream and chips and just junk.  He didn't act like he felt bad the rest of the night.  We put him to bed like usual.  I got up to get ready for church.  I'd kinda decided I wasn't going to take him to church just in case it was a bug of some sort.  Well he was still asleep when I left for church.  Patrick finally woke him up at noon and he'd gotten sick during the night.  It was pitiful.  I felt so bad that we didn't hear him at all.  Long story short he got sick a few more times.  We both required showers after the last incident.  He hasn't gotten sick since around 1:30, he's wanted to be held all day long.  So that's what I did.  All day long.  He had some crackers and french fries for dinner and he acts like he feels a little better.  This is the first time he's really been sick.  He's had a few colds and ear infections but never thrown up.  It was so sad.  He would just whine and point at his stomach.  Hopefully, he'll feel better tomorrow.
He was wearing his backpack around one morning.  He acts like he's so excited for school.  I'm pretty sure it'll be a different story when I actually drop him off.  Which now won't be until Wednesday.  He was supposed to start tomorrow but they have a 24 hour rule for vomiting.  I'm sad he's going to miss the first day.   This has been our day today.  I hate seeing him so sick but I have enjoyed all the snuggle time with him.  I feel like we earned some sort of parenting badge today with the amount of laundry we've done and the amount of vomit we've cleaned up in the past 24 hours.  I am hoping no one we partied with yesterday gets sick.  We're looking forward to a day at home to rest and recover.  

Friendship

I've been participating in the August Photo Challenge with the Alabama Women Bloggers on Instagram this month.  (I tried last month but fell off the wagon some where around the 10th I believe.)  Today's topic is friendship.  I knew I wasn't going to see my friends today so I went searching for a photo to post.  It caused me to stop and really think about friendships.  I decided to make this a post after I realized how long my post on instagram was and how much I really wanted to say more.  So here I am rambling on...

This is the picture I posted.  It was taken back in April when everyone came for the storms.  These girls are my best friends.  They are always the first to know anything.  Good or bad, happy or sad they usually get a group text so they can laugh at me or just be there.  We all new each other before college but that is where our friendship really grew.  We can go weeks without seeing each other and it doesn't matter.  These are the people that I can be 100% myself with.  They don't care if my house or my hair is dirty.  We have laughed together and cried together and laughed until we cried together.  It's just a really special bond. I'm also lucky enough to share special friendships with several other women.  Most of these were acquaintances from my past but motherhood has strengthened our bond.  It's so nice to be able to text someone and say, I'm having a bad day and they are there to lift you up.  They let you know you aren't alone.  I love that these women are real, they don't try to sugarcoat life.  Life is hard, its beautiful but it's hard and it's so comforting to know that you aren't the only one that just wants to use the rest room alone every now and then.  I've just felt so blessed by these friends over the past year or so and I hope that each of them know how special they are to me.

August Goals

I'm looking forward to August.  I usually have mixed feelings at the end of summer but this year I'm ready for it to be over.  The weather here has been teasing fall like temps and it has been wonderful.  I've been hearing the band practicing and I'm just excited for everything fall brings.  That being said I want to be more intentional with my time this month and get some things done.  I feel like we've just been surviving these last two months.  I'm ready for more structure and routine to our days. 1).  Get Organized I got a paper planner for the first time in years and I need to get back in the habit of using it.  I write everything down but I only check it when I need to verify something.  When I was in college I lived by my planner.  I put my "to do" lists in it each day and I feel like it made me be more productive.  I want to get in the habit of sitting down each night and mapping out a plan of attack for the next day.  I also need to get more organized paying bills and managing paperwork that comes into the house.  I know it's only going to get worse once Barrett is in "school".  I also need to be more organized to get him to school on time, with everything he needs.
2.)  Meal Plan I am going to plan two weeks at a time and cook 5 nights a week.  I also need to plan for lunches to either take to work with us or send to school the two days Barrett will be going.  I love eating dinner as a family but have fallen out of the habit of cooking.  I'm not talking about anything fancy but I need to start cooking more.
3.) Gym Time I haven't been to the gym in at least two months.  I have several excuses but they are just that, excuses.  I could have gotten there if I really wanted to.  Well I'm about 10 weeks away from a girls trip to Mexico and I'd like to hit the gym a lot before we go.  My goal is at least 3 times each week, but I'd really like to go 5 times each week.  I plan to mix it up and do 3 BODYPUMP classes and 2 cardio classes either BODYATTACK or BODYCOMBAT each week.
4.)  Clean up the Guest Room It has once again become the catch all.  This happens every year.  But it's really bad right now.  I need to get it picked up and organized so that all the things that always find their way here have a place.  I'm not looking forward to it.
5.) Clean out the Pantry & Laundry Room
This is another place that just collects stuff.  Its where the random crap gets tossed when we need to "straighten up" quickly.  I need a better organization system in both places but especially the pantry.  I need to make it more functional so I won't dread cooking and putting away groceries.  There you have it, my goals for the month of August.  I plan to keep you updated when something gets accomplished!  I'm excited to get to work!!!