what happens when a little boy sneaks the camera

As I flipped through the photos of Simon's first day of preschool on my camera, I discovered there was a library of shots that I had not taken. Some had a very abstract quality. For instance this:

And this:

Others were intriguing because of their vantage point and cropping, like this:

and this:

Who could this mysterious artist be? Oh wait...I think I might have found a clue:

I know of only one little boy with feet like that....

simon's first day of preschool

Simon's first official day of preschool was today! I was worried when both kids had to be woken from their dreams early this morning. Both wanted to linger in their beds. And Simon persisted that he didn't want to go to school. I refused to be shaken though and insisted that the day would be full of fun and playing and new friends and he sluggishly got on board.

He wanted to wear his new overalls, but I was worried about him getting tangled up during bathroom breaks (a mom must think through all possible scenarios sometimes, you know.) So he obliged me and put on the alternate outfit which I had picked out for him. He looked like such a big boy!

And I couldn't resist the shot of the shoes:

His excitement grew as we got closer to "his" school and he proceeded straight to his class. What a big day this was!

That's my boy!

When we got to his classroom, he looked around apprehensively and seemed to study everyone. But he didn't waste too much time being shy. He went right over to the crowded table, found a spot, and began assembling a train.

He barely looked up to see if I was still around! I was amazed. What a guy. I knew he was going to have no trouble with this at all. And so I made my exit.

I watched the clock to make sure I didn't miss my cue to leave the house in time to be one of the first moms in line to pick him up. As I approached the building, I was pleased to see I had gotten there early enough that there were hardly any cars lined up, vying for parking spaces. Then my phone rang.

Preschool: "Mrs. Mowrey?"
Me: "Yes?"
Preschool: "This is Therese from Union Preschool."
Me: "Yes?"
Preschool: "We still have Simon."
  I thought to myself, "Hmmm......what does she mean exactly?"
Me: "Ok...school's out at 11:45, right? I'm just pulling up."
Preschool: "No, Mrs. Mowrey. 11:15."
Me: Dying just a little inside, "Oh my gosh! I'll be right there!"

It was the first day of preschool. And I was a half and hour late picking up my son. All the other children were long gone. And I used up my son's teacher's lunch hour in my tardiness. Can I just tell you how horrified I was? Horrified. Mortified. Aghast. Agape. You know....I felt....BAD.

But then Simon was all smiles when I met him on the stairs. And as we loaded up in the car, I asked him, "What was your favorite part of being at school today, buddy?" And he answered, "Playing the piano with Mrs. Visintine after all the other kids left." I must buy that teacher some flowers!

not so golden slumbers

Arrrghh! Josie is so darn bent on MOVING ALL THE TIME she will not calm down and just sleep. What used to be easy...she acted tired and fell right to sleep, has become a fight. Now, she buries her face in my arm and rubs her eyes and then her little head pops up again. And I can no longer leave her in her crib to fall asleep because she stands up and then doesn't know how to get down safely. Or she finds a way to hang a limb through the slats and gets mad. I'm ready for her to settle down a little bit now, thank you very much.

discovering simon

Now that it's just Simon, Josie and me most days while Ella plugs away at school, I'm getting to know more about my little man outside the "Ella and Simon" dynamic. It startled me that I've been at a loss sometimes how to engage him, entertain him and all around make life fun. What I have found that whenever he acts bored, riding the tricycle is always appealing.

Simon, 2 years old | Ella, 4 years old

We got him this tricycle off craigslist when he was two. At that point, he loved it, but it was really hard for him to ride. His legs just reached the pedals but weren't long enough to get any momentum going. Now, he tools around on this thing like a pro. Up and down the sidewalk and back again he goes. Then he takes a rest and expresses what hard work he's doing, sweating a great deal, and then takes off again. Sometimes he rings the little bell too. Who doesn't love a little bell on a bike?

Ahhh...a boy and his trike.

Other easy entertainment includes watering the flowers, sometimes getting drenched in the process and petting/annoying the neighborhood kitty cat who seems to have adopted us. I'm excited though, to really figure out what makes this little guy tick, what interests him and what he's really gifted at. He's smart, I know, and I'll be starting some workbooks with him like I did with Ella, just to spend some productive time together. It's a joy to have this time to focus on my boy for awhile. He's one of a kind.

in a hurry

I told you so! Josie started cruising today. She's been pulling up and standing for about a month or so now and she is so determined! She's blowing my mind. While Ella was at school today, it was just Josie and me since Bryan took Simon on an overnight camping adventure. Various times throughout the day I would hear Josie snicker to herself, so pleased that she is barreling ahead and accomplishing new feats. It's a funny laugh, a quiet little hissing sound with a scrunched up face. She is just so thrilled to be up moving!

The crazy thing about her mobility is that she is still so little, she gets herself in positions that she isn't quite mature enough to maneuver out of so she panics a bit. I hear her whine or fuss in the other room and come to find her perched against the stairs, holding the banister, getting tired and not knowing how to get down. Silly girl. Baby gates will have to be dusted off soon!

fun chore

The kitchen floor was disgusting. I was tired, but I knew it had to be done. Fortunately, the kids think mopping is the most fun chore ever, so, between the three of us, it was no sweat! After I swept, one scrubbed, one mopped and then we used our feet with rags to mop up the puddles. It was fun! The only trouble was them fighting over who got to use the mop. I hope that argument continues...