A Whirlwind Week & Savoring the Sweetness...

I can hardly believe it is Friday night! Good gracious, where did this week go? My it has been a blur. I haven't even blogged since last weekend...that is a sure sign it was a busy week around here.

Well I just got back from my lovely "me" time. I had a haircut/color appt and I feel like a new person. It was a much needed break for me tonight - I have put heaping piles of things on my plate lately and some "me" time was just what the doctor ordered! Plus, who doesn't feel better with a little change to the hair!

Our week has found us bouncing all over the place. Patrick is in full swing with Speech Therapy at the USF clinic & I really enjoy watching him through the one-way glass except that I feel at times they really need a little button that allows the parent to say just one or two words. I feel like I have been muzzled. It is quite comical, if I can relax for a little bit, to see childless graduate students interacting with a 2 year old. As a whole, I LOVE the two therapists assigned to Patrick; having 5 years of experience as a family working with various Speech Therapists, having 2 Speech Therapists in our family and having worked in hospitals with other types of therapists..I can say that our two therapists have an overall EXCELLENT rapport with children. They have it all down - great facial expressions...eager, enthusiastic attitudes without any sickening over-the-top sweetness....the ability to be firm yet positive...all that with no sign of fear in their eyes. Oh & believe me, you see plenty of fear in the eyes of many childless 20-somethings working with kids for the first time! Especially 2 year olds! LOL! But there were times Patrick said "I see Earth"...well it sounded more like "I dee oatch" (clearly "Earth" to me - LOL) but I really wanted that button. The therapists were saying "Oval? Ouch? On top? Over there?". It was all I could do to not gnaw through the glass and say "It's EARTH!!!". That was sheer torture. Funny torture but torture for me, Ms. Control! But I held it together...no gnawing...no gnashing of teeth...I just told them afterwards and they have remembered every little translation I have told them too!

Matthew decided he had adjusted to Kindergarten enough to resume going to karate during the week. We had been going on Saturdays only since school started since I thought he'd be too tired after school. Well the reality is that I'm too tired after school! But I sucked it up and took him to the regular class on Monday after OT and then to sparring last night. He did fine. Clearly it was me who needed the time of adjustment!

Then today, I started my new venture at Matthew's school. Since Matthew started there two years ago I have struggled with the one thing - I have no family locally & therefore finding someone to help me watch Patrick while I go volunteer in Matthew's school is hard. The school did not have a childcare program for this situation. I have been talking to the school (as have a few other Moms) for a long time about this and it finally came to fruition. Today I held the first of our Parent Nursery Co-ops! I only had 2 children besides Patrick but I got 5 Moms to sign up for the Co-op! We worked out all the details over the summer and the parents will volunteer to work in the nursery on the days we schedule the Co-op to "bank" hours in exchange for having someone else watch their child(ren). We will only take 1-3 year olds and the parents have to remain on the school campus volunteering. I will be there for every Co-op day initially (we only have about 2 scheduled each month so far) but I hope as it grows that I will just be there as needed to work it & check in and then I can volunteer in the school too! Everyone has to have criminal background check and FBI electronic fingerprinting and then on each visit everyone is screened for arrests and sexual offender charges. Plus everyone knows each other there so it is a pretty tight group. I am just so happy because I wanted to help others who are in the same situation I have been. Next fall Patrick will start preschool there & although he'll only be there 2.5 hours twice a week, once your child is a student you are eligible to use the "extended day" program which is childcare provided by licensed caregivers inside the school for a teeny tiny fee. So next year that will be the method I use when I want to volunteer but for now, this will be great.

To wrap up the week, I have tried hard to savor some of the sweetness of my little boys. As rambunctious as they can be...as much as they can whine with the best of them....they are so, so , so very cuddly, yummy, scrumptious and innocent. I have enjoyed making Patrick laugh this week - his big belly laughs and I have loved seeing Matthew's pride when he does an awesome job on his homework. I love them soooo much. They are such a hoot to watch playing together. Then Matthew will say the most profound things. It is amazing to witness. That's it...that's my busy but blessed week!