The Best Decisions

It's been two and a half months since Connor started Kindergarten.  And I have to admit, when he first started, I kept wondering if we had made the right decision.  In Stoughton, he wouldn't have been eligible for Kindergarten until next year, but I really felt he needed it - not only the structure, but the socialization.  I knew it would be difficult for him, especially when the months preceding his start of Kindergarten his behavior at daycare was less than perfect.  But Joey and I both felt that he needed a challenge, and that meant sending him to Kindergarten in Brockton (because I work for the school system, we're allowed to send our students to Brockton schools).

The first few weeks of school were rough.  His teacher told me that he would wander, just leaving the classroom, or the line, or the lunch table, whenever he felt the urge.  He ended up at a peanut-free table at lunch and he most likely had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with him.  In class, he wouldn't respond to his name, and when he spoke it was barely audible.  Connor wasn't following directions very well, and this had his teacher concerned.  I was concerned, too.  I had knots in my chest every day that I dropped him off, hoping that he would be alright, and they wouldn't go away until I picked him up at 3.  I questioned whether we made the right choice, but always knew that because of his younger age that all of these things were going to be an issue.

Skip to November and parent-teacher conferences.  His teacher said in her twelve years of teaching, she's never seen a kid start where Connor started and be where he is now in such a short period of time.  He's actively involved in his learning, he raises his hand, participates in class, stays in line, stays at the lunch table, listens to his teachers, and follows directions.  He's great at Math and ELA, and always does his work.  It's amazing.  To say it was a relief is an understatement, but I'm also extremely proud of him.  We've worked very hard at all of these skills, and to see him flourish makes me one proud Momma!

Since I pick Connor up every day, I get to see how he is socially.  He's gone from being "very shy" (as he would say), to giving kids hugs and waving goodbye.  I pick him up from extended day and everyone is saying "bye, Connor Estee!"  Teachers and custodians know him by name, and I hear him talking their ear off as they walk him to the cafeteria to start his day.  He makes it a point to chase a kid down at dismissal JUST to say goodbye.  Yesterday he was dismissed at the same time as a girl who had an eye patch.  She gave him a big hug goodbye and said "I love you", and Connor said "I love you, too".  My heart melted.

Joey has even said that he's noticed a difference in how Connor plays at home.  He's more apt to try new ways to play and involve others, rather than just focus on one way to do something and continue to do that over and over.  Needless to say, we feel that even though it was tough at first, that we absolutely made the right decision.  Connor has blossomed.  Even though there are still plenty of things to work on, he has come so far in such a short amount of time.  I'm so very proud of him and how hard he works each and every day!

They Stick Together

While we were in Vermont visiting that cute little nephew of mine, my cousins Becky and Kate stopped by for a visit.  Kate brought her youngest daughter, Sarah, with her so that she and Connor could play.  In typical Connor fashion, he was a little shy at first, but then they started playing together.  They attempted a game of "Hide-and-go-Seek", but Connor doesn't quite get that when you hide, you don't have to count.  So he basically counted while Sarah hid each time.  

At one point, they were playing with a lint roller (oodles of fun for all ages, apparently), and they put their hands on top of each others, put the lint roller on top and said "We stick together!".  It was so stinkin' adorable.  I wish these two could play together more often!

Sweet Baby James

My sweet, beautiful nephew, Eric James Bouvier, was born on October 23, 2012 to my brother, Nate, and his fiance, Erica.  In what is quickly becoming a grand tradition in my family, they are going to call him by his middle name, James.  Both names have quite a significant meaning.  James was the name of our grandfather (my Dad's father), and he passed away when I was in high school.  Known as Pop, he and my brother had a very special relationship.  My brother's morning paper route ended at a house behind Pop's.  Every day they would have breakfast together in the early morning hours.  It was a special time for both of them, and it was devastating when he died.  My Uncle Eric (my Dad's brother), passed away less than a year after Pop. He was way too young, and it was heartbreaking for my family.  Eric was also Nate's Godfather.  It was very difficult for my family to have two great losses within a short period of time.  Apparently my brother has been holding on to these names since then, patiently waiting for the day he could name his son after these two great men.  We are all very proud!

As a very happy Auntie, it was painful to wait a week and a half before I got to meet him.  Seeing pictures is great, but I wanted to meet him in person.  He's an itty bitty thing, and he curls right up into a ball.  I know Maeve was that small just a few months ago, but she's a tank compared to him, and it was so nice to hold a teeny tiny baby once more.  It just melts my heart!  He's got a lot of hair -way more than my 6 month-old- and is full of grunts and squeaks.  I can definitely say I'm a very proud Auntie!

Connor thought the world of his new baby cousin, and wanted to kiss his head and hug him.  Maeve was completely fascinated by him as well.  Whenever he would cry, she would just stare at him as if to say "What's the matter?  Why are you making all that noise?".  It was definitely very cute!

We wish Erica and Nate the best as they settle in with their new bundle of joy.  We can't wait to see everyone again at Christmas.  Yikes - it's right around the corner!

Grampy with his three grandchildren.  

Uncle Andy holding James.

James with his eyes open!

Mommy and her peeps. 

Sweet baby James and Auntie. 

Happy Halloween

This was the cutest Halloween ever.

Connor wanted to be a ghost.  As in old school, sheet over the head, ghost.

It's not as easy as it looks.  For starters, I didn't have an old white sheet in the house, so I had to buy a cheap set of sheets and cut the flat sheet.  Cutting those damn darn eyes out is NOT as easy as one would think.  They looked horrible, but Connor didn't care.

I had to sew the back of the sheet together because a flat sheet has two sides much shorter than the other.  So I sewed them together.  Yes, Mom, I said I SEWED.  I didn't say it was good.  I just said I sewed.  And the sewing of said sheet may have made a very pointy top.  It was definitely NOT the look we were going for, so we were VERY sure that the pointy top was able to be tucked in and under so he looked like a ghost and not something extremely offensive.  As stated earlier, I didn't say my sewing was good.  Moving on....

After two trial runs (one at the Taunton Mall free Trick-or-Treating night, and a mini trick-or-treating at speech therapy), we realized we needed to make the eyes bigger and add arm holes so that the poor kid could hold his bag of candy.  I've never gotten so many compliments on a costume before.  I think people just haven't seen an old fashioned ghost costume in a long time, so they all thought it was pretty cool.  The costume itself wasn't great, but the kid in it was, and that made it an awesome costume.

This was the first year Connor truly "got" Halloween.  He understood it a little last year, but was shy, and when the doors would open, he'd yell "CANDY!" instead of "Trick-or-Treat!".  This year, he had it all planned, and yelled "BOO!" every time someone opened their door.  It was stinkin' adorable.  People would offer him more candy, and he would say "No, that's it", and walk away with one or two lollipops or candy bars.  Of course, this made him even more adorable - that he wasn't greedy.  He also declared he was done after only 8 houses.  Of course, Mom and Dad wanted to hit the house that gives out full candy bars, so once that was done, we went home.

Maeve, of course, went with us as a little peapod.  She was happy as a clam to be held all night and to be out with everyone.  She's my little social butterfly!

By far this was the best Halloween Connor has had so far.  I hope he can stay this adorable for a little while longer before he declares that he wants nothing to do with Mom and Dad on Halloween.  We hope everyone else had a great time, too!