Zoo Day

Milwaukee Zoo has a great little Dinosaur exhibit that the kids really enjoyed.  Some of them move and some you can climb on...

PreK Graduation

It has been awhile since I posted - it seems like March was just yesterday.  To recap the last few months, Gretchen has been improving her fine motor skills in occupational therapy.  Her writing is getting better - she has written actual words!  Her PreK teachers met with me again and indicated she will be ready to go to Kindergarten in the fall.  She will have her work cut out for her but it was encouraging to hear that they saw improvement in her!

The rewards program has helped with some behavior issues we were having over the winter.  She gets to pick the rewards herself with our final approval of course.  This past weekend she wanted to camp outside since twice we camped inside.  I was asking myself how I get suckered into this stuff when Steve started dragging out the camping gear.  Gretchen started jumping up and down and getting excited about the prospect of sleeping outside.  It was a good reminder for both of us about why we go along with some of these family activities!

Last night was Gretchen's graduation from PreK.  Her daycare school puts on a program for all of the classes as they graduate to the next room.  Gretchen will be going there for private full day kindergarten so we are excited about that!  The theme of the program last night was "Under the Sea" so the kids did songs about the sea and dressed in Hawaiian beach attire.  You can check it out on Youtube if you're interested!

Gretchen has grown this year - both in leg and torso length!  She used to fit the same size as her age but now we're buying bigger because it's less likely to be too small.  It's hard for me to see her so grown up already but exciting at the same time because she can do so much more with us! 

Since this is her fifth birthday next month, we will be having a big kids party on July 11th for her with a bounce house and swimming.  We're probably not doing a big party for the boys this year but likely a summer party early August!  I'll send invites soon!

P.S.  As usual, new pictures and videos are posted to Flickr and the blog.

Annual Cubs Game

We took the girl, Steve's best friend Chris and his girlfriend plus all of their kids on our annual Cubs game in May.  We have taken Gretchen every year since she was two to the Cubs game in May (when they sell the cheap seats).  It was on the cold side again this year but it did not stop her (or me) from eating a delicious malt cup!

My Kind of Zoo

Starting to get spring fever so we took a ride to Lincoln Park Zoo.  The boys had a hard time sitting still as did Gretchen so this picture, while not perfect, at least has everyone in it.  Spring Fever indeed!

Easter Angel?

 

We had decent weather and a nice dinner at Sharon's for Easter. Gretchen and the boys were all dressed. Gretchen pressured me into a dress insisting that we go to the dinner "fancy" so I had to break out the only outfit that fits me. Sigh.... She looks good though...

Exquisite

While Sean and Evan are keeping us busy, we try to make sure Gretchen doesn't lose out on quality time with us.  Steve and I both have different ways of doing it but we strive for one on one time with her when we can.  For example Steve took Gretchen skiing last month.  He did not ski at all, just watched her class.  She seemed to like it and stayed for the entire class unlike other sports classes we've done where she has wanted to leave 10 minutes before it was over. 

Steve and I also take switch off each night on who does bedtime so the kids never get used to one person all the time.  I use bedtime as a time to chat a little and goof off a little with my daughter.  One of these chats was a little argument about what she would like to be called.  I call her cutie pie, cute stuff, cutey, etc but she doesn't like it.  She wants to hear pretty which I oblige most times.  This one particular night I asked her what she would like to be called if not cute.  She paused for a moment and thought about it.  With wide eyes she looked at me and said:  exquisite.  I asked her where she learned that word but she couldn't remember.  I have yet to work that into a sentence since it doesn't flow off the tongue so easily but I'm working on it.  She is after all, my exquisite little pretty beauty..... nah, that needs work!

Rewards Program

It has been a while since I updated the blog.  I totally skipped over Christmas but I did post to the boys' blog about our Christmas.  As I mentioned before, we transitioned Gretchen to a new daycare school setting in August.  They gave us an assessment of her in November that indicated she needed some fine motor help as she cannot write yet.  We ended seeing an occupational therapist to help with her writing skills.  This whole ordeal, yes ordeal, has been difficult for all of us on some level.  With the twins arriving, our lives were turned upside down and to some degree attention to some preschool skills got lost in the shuffle at our house.  Both Steve and I blame ourselves a little though we're trying not to make a big deal of it.  Another issue, in our minds at least, is that she has just recently figured out she is a lefty which is challenging for us as rightys.  I personally think Gretchen does notice how the kids are writing at school and has frustration about her abilities. 

We have had some behavior issues lately (possibly a result of her frustration) that have pushed Steve and I on to the next level of parenting.  We decided to start the rewards program to get her behavior and outbursts at school in check.  She needs to earn twenty stickers in five days to get a "prize" at the end of the week.  The prizes are of her choosing.  Week one was dinner and a ride on the merry-go-round at the mall.  The second week was a "camp in" where we set up her ladybug tent in the front room and slept there for the night (mommy was on the futon by her).  Last week it was a weekend of dressing up as Princess Leia.  This week she wants to have her hamburger hut set up for the weekend.  So far, it has really helped.  We've been reading Chick Moorman's book Parent Talk to help us adjust our expectations and language which has also been helping us with Gretchen.  Though I don't need to say it, I will say how much we love her and want her to be confident, curious and creative!

I know this is not a new path for parents but it's new for us.  We want her to be ready for kindergarten so we have been pushing activities that we know will strengthen her hands:  writing, coloring, playdough, lacing cards, necklace making, cutting, etc.  I am optimistic that she will be fine next year as long as we can keep the activities fun and constructive!  Now I understand why everyone thinks babies are easier (which they are not - just different, especially when you have twins).

Doing the Funky Chicken?

Steve told Gretchen to dance last weekend and she started moving her thumbs and making cute little poses.  I have seen her dance before but it was more of a bounce or shuffle.  This time is was a full on Elaine (from Seinfeld)....  Still the pictures were pretty cute...

A Child's Anguish

Sounds dramatic I know but we lost a cat this weekend (my dear little Pepa) to illness and old age.  While Steve and I knew she was not well, we didn't know how long she had left.  We found her Sunday morning on the bottom of the stairs.  Gretchen was so upset - she just wailed and wailed.  Her mind kept jumping around - first she thought we should get a new cat then she decided she didn't want a new cat.  After about an hour, she calmed down.  Periodically through the day she would tell us she missed Pepa.  We told her we did too. 

G is for Gretchen

First day at her new school....

All Grown Up!

Today is Gretchen's last day at her current daycare.  On Monday she starts a different place that has a preschool curriculum.  We hate leaving but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.  Gretchen loves her current teacher so I think the transition might be hard but she would have moved to a new room next week regardless of what school or daycare we're going to.  I was always worried that I would envy the people who my child bonded with at daycare but instead I'm relieved.  I feel good that there is someone at school that she trusts and cherishes (and I'm not overdoing it when I say cherish....  she loves her teacher).  We met the new teachers a few weeks ago and one of them said something that I can really relate to...  She said kids want to please their teachers...almost even more than there parents so they are in a very meaningful position to teach respect, discipline, kindness, etc. to our young ones.  I just hope every year we get someone who understand this and takes it seriously and respectfully.