Liv had her first day of Kindergarten this week. And the weirdest thing about all of this is that I didn’t cry when I sent her off. I had a baby less than a week before her first day so you would think that I would be the weepiest mom outside the Kindergarten room. Nope. Baby number four has turned me into a robot. “I was programmed to pick you up at 2:30 sharp.”
Surprise, surprise, we were running late getting Liv to class on her first day. I’m sure I just added to the chaos with my frantic, “Hurry! Get in the car! Buckle your seat! Hurry up! Gray-bee! Come here! Get out of the car! Put that down! This way!” with the occasional calm, “Stop and turn around so I can take your picture. Okay, now smile. You look so cute, Liv. I am so proud of you.” mixed in and then right back to, “Hurry up! We’re late! Move it!”.
Liv was a little bit nervous about her first day, but what helped the most was having her cousin, Taft, in her class with her. I was so excited when I found out that they would be in the same class. I asked her who she played with on her first day and she very proudly told me she played with Taft.
First, Liv put away her backpack.
Second, she found the yellow bus with her name on it and put it on the blue chart.
Third, she found the blue bear with her name on it to help the teachers learn the kids names.
Then she found her cousin, Taft.
When school let out the teachers each brought their classes out in groups and Liv was so excited to go back and find her teacher to say
good bye.
Getting Liv to school on time is proving to be quite the challenge with three other children in tow and one of them being only a week old. Korby saved me today when she picked up Liv to take her to school. Too bad she couldn’t have saved Gray-bee from smelling like the funk of forty thousand years because his mother skipped his bath last time. I made sure that everyone got a bath before bed so that we could avoid any further funk. Am I doomed to be the Queen of “Can’t get it together” forever?
Our new baby girl is finally here! Nothing went as planned, but it all worked out.
I was scheduled to be induced on Monday, so we had the kids sleep over at my parents house so we could leave first thing in the morning. That plan worked out great for me and Gary, but turned out to be a total joke for my mother.
We were supposed to start calling Labor and Delivery at 6:00am and see if they were able to admit me. “We’re not ready for you now, call us back back in a few hours.” Gary calls back around 9:30am and is then told to call back later that afternoon. At 2:30 we are told to call back around 8:00pm. Fun game, huh?
Around 6:00pm the hospital calls. You may think that they are calling to let us know that things have finally slowed down enough that we can come in, right? Wrong. “Can you come in around 11:00pm? Or, if you would like, you can just try again tomorrow.” Does she really think that I want to go through this crazy waiting game again!?! “We’ll be in tonight.”
Around 9:00pm I start feeling contractions, but don’t really think anything of it. When 10:00 finally rolls around I call and the nurse asks if I can be there by 10:30. Does she really think I am going to say “No”?
Gary and I arrive at 10:30 and by this time I am pretty sure that I am in labor. After checking in at the front desk and getting settled into my room, I start getting hooked up to all of the machines. Yep, I’m in labor. My chart is changed from Inducement to Spontaneous Labor. When getting my IV put in I warn the nurse that my veins are hard to find and I would really like to avoid having the IV put in on the back of my hand. I have had the IV on the back of my hand during two of my previous pregnancies and it is absolute torture. It is incredibly painful whenever I bend my wrist and they always make me keep the IV in until the morning after I have the baby because I fainted after I had Liv. I vow not to mention the fainting this time. And I especially shouldn’t mention that I was on the toilet when I fainted. I wouldn’t want that to get out. (How embarrassing.) After a failed attempt on my inner arm the nurse finally finds a vein on the side of my wrist. Better than the back of my hand, but not much.
My doctor gave the nurse instructions to start me on Pitocin, but I was progressing fast enough that I didn’t think it was necessary. After rejecting the Pitocin I decided that it was time to order up my Epidural. I definitely wasn’t going to be missing out on that bit of lovely-ness.
Gary had been up since 6:00am on Monday morning and it was now about 1:15am Tuesday morning so I begged him to rest so that he would be coherent when the baby arrived. He never even heard the doctor come in the room at 1:30. At about 1:50 I could tell that it was time so I had to practically yell at Gary to get him to wake up. After he was up I called the nurse in and at 2:06am our little girl was born.
She was one mad baby. She cried when they were cleaning her up, she cried when they had her under the warmer, she cried when they wrapped her up in a blanket, she cried when Gary held her, she cried when I held her, she cried as they wheeled her out of our room, and she cried all through her bath. This is not a good sign. I was expecting her to be crying when they brought her back to me after her bath, but I guess she got it all out because she has been such a calm easy going baby. Well, as long as you are holding her, that is.
This is my Granny. She was born in Scotland and raised in Ireland. She married my grandfather and followed him over to the states. She raised four children (one of them being my father) while moving all over the states and Canada. She is a strong woman with an incredible testimony of the gospel. Her name is Isobel.
Isobel Catherine Ida
August 19, 2008 2:06am
7 pounds 13 ounces
19-1/2 inches long
She is also named after her Great Grandmother Ida Brangham, but I don’t feel like I am the right person to be telling you about her since she is not my grandmother. Oh, and don’t ask Gary either, he doesn’t know his own children’s birthday’s or how to spell his daughter’s name. He took her to her Kindergarten Skills Inventory earlier this week and spelled her name, Olyvia. Olivia’s cubby, name card and coat hook were all labeled with the wrong spelling. Her teacher promised that it would be changed by the first day of Kindergarten. (Okay, he denies that it was him and he is convinced that it was the teacher who made a mistake and got her name wrong, but how am I supposed to tease him about it if it wasn’t even him. It’s more fun to this way. 
)
Husbands Name: Gary, but he told me that when asked his name many people think he says “Greg”.
How long did we date: One day shy of a month. Gary brought up marriage after three weeks, but I told him that three weeks wasn’t long enough. He could ask me any other time, just not then. He waited a whole week before he asked me to marry him.
How long have we been married: Six and a half years, and only an eternity to go. You’re stuck with me forever, Gary.
How old is he: I can’t tell you how much I hate this question. It is fine to ask me now, I guess, just don’t ask in November. Gary is five months younger than me and he doesn’t care, but it bugs me like crazy. He is 29 and, for the record, so am I. For now at least.
Who eats more: It is not wise to ask a pregnant woman if she eats more than her husband.
Who said “I love you” first: I think I brought it up first, but I can’t remember who said it first. I think it was me.
Who is taller: Gary is taller standing up. I am taller lying down, but hopefully not for long.
Who is the better singer: What a stupid question. I choose to answer as follows… Gary listens to a wider variety of music than I do. I sing more than he does, but it is songs for the kids like, “Jim O’Shea”, “Jingle Bells, Batman Smells”, “Dummy Line” and other “classics” that I have picked up over the years.
Who is the bigger smart alec: Hmmm… this is a hard one. You might think it is me, but only because I am louder about it. Gary is more quiet, but he doesn’t let that get in his way.
Who does the laundry: Me. If someone wanted to torture me all they would have to do is tie me up, gag me and make me watch Gary do the laundry. He wouldn’t know how to “properly” separate the clothes into whites, colors, darks, jeans and towels, which fabric softener to use, what load size to put the machine on, what goes in the dryer, what gets air dried, how to lay things out to get air dried, when to add the bleach for the towels, that I even add bleach to the towels, that jeans need to go through two dry cycles to dry all the way, to check if stains have been properly removed, etc… Don’t even get me started on what takes place during folding. My only comfort is to know that I am not alone in Laundry Crazy Land. Heather understands me.
Who does the dishes: Me, but if you ask Gary right now he would say, “No one.” I do them, it just takes a while before the pile in the sink shames me into it.
Who mows the lawn: I grew up in a house where the girls NEVER mowed the lawn so I think it is Gary’s job. Gary thinks it is no one’s. Our neighbors wish it was anyone.
Who cooks: At home, me. When we go camping, Gary cooks. He makes the most delicious breakfast when we are camping.
Who drives: When we are together Gary usually drives. When we go on long distance trips Gary still drives, but I take over when he gets tired. I hate it when he gets tired.
Who proposed: Gary did.
Who is more stubborn: I am. I think Gary prefers the term “Spoiled” though. I am the youngest girl of six kids having one younger brother. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard, “Mark is the youngest, but Heidi is the baby of the family.” I have always thought that I was easy going, but maybe that is because I always get my way. I have to say that Gary is completely guilty of spoiling me, too.
Who is more sensitive: If I said it was Gary would anyone believe me? Duh. It’s me. I cried when someone won $5,000 on Supermarket Sweep.
Who wears the pants: Another stupid question. How do I answer this one. Do you mean “Who do the kids listen to more?” Definitely Gary. If I ask the kids to do something and they don’t listen I ask Gary to tell them and they do it right away without a fuss. It is so frustrating. This question is angering me. Let’s move on.
First Kiss: Gary kissed me on my parents front porch. He wasn’t planning on kissing me that night, but I’m sure glad that he did. Did I mention that it was our first date?
TAG, you’re it!
Classic childhood joke:
-Say Ketchup after everything I say. What do you like on hamburgers?
-Ketchup.
-What do you like on hot dogs?
-Ketchup.
-What do you do if you see Micheal Jackson walking down the street…
Hmmm… Maybe this childhood memory should remain a memory. Anyway, here is a summer catch up…
- I scheduled dentist appointments for the kids a month in advance and told them about their impending appointment. “We get to go to the dentist today? HOORAY! Holden, we get to go to the dentist! Can I call daddy and tell him we get to go to the dentist? I love going to the dentist!” Do we not have enough fun in our house that a trip to the dentist produces such joy and excitement? They were so disappointed to find out that their appointment was not for another month, but they still managed to drive me crazy by asking everyday if that was the day of their appointment.
- Gary finished my bathroom and I have been LOVING it! I have not posted pictures of it yet because I still don’t have an outer shower curtain, window curtain, rugs, towels or the specific towel bar (I can picture it in my head, but no one sells it) because I can’t settle on a color. (I can feel Joe’s eyes rolling as he reads this one.)
- To get the bathroom finished I was able to help Gary when he was working on the grout. I would wring out the sponges for him as fast as I could as he cleaned the tile. My hands were on fire because the grout residue on the sponges was eating at my skin every time I squeezed the sponges. It was late at night and the grout was drying fast so we couldn’t stop. The kids were tearing apart the house and they knew we couldn’t do a thing about it. I also made the fatal error of applying lotion to my hands after we were done. FIRE!!! MY HANDS ARE ON FIRE! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF! Lesson learned. (but probably not)
- I was invited to a baby shower for a friend in my ward and I called up the host to RSVP only to not show because my hands hurt from wringing out the sponges for the grout the night before. (sissy) It seems that every time I RSVP something always comes up and I can’t go. There was a second baby shower for her a few weeks later and I chose not to RSVP. Of course I was able to go.
- Liv has a Girl Scout Investiture Ceremony on Wednesday and I am so excited to go. She will be presented with all of her badges and her Daisy vest. We have been working on her memorizing the Girl Scout Promise because she will be reciting it in front of everyone that night. She loves going to her Girl Scouts and loved it when she ran into her Girl Scout friends at the Fair and the park. I can’t wait to embarrass her with all of my cheering on Wednesday night!
- There was a short period where Gray-bee would fold his arms for prayers. Very short. It soon turned into “I can do whatever I want time because everyone else has their arms folded and eyes closed.” Our newest breakthrough with him is his newfound interest in saying his own prayers. We are back to folding arms again. But for how long?
- I overheard Holden tell the neighbor kids, “Do you want to know my name? It’s Holden. My dad’s name is Uncle Gary and my mom’s name is Heidi.”
- I love going to the fair every year and every year I have to beg, plead and bargain with Gary to get him there. This year he was unable to go because he has been working late helping out with an extra project at work so he wasn’t able to go this year. Then he surprises me by telling me he is sad that he won’t be able to go to the fair this year. What changed his attitude, you ask? “I really want a funnel cake.” If only I had know about this funnel cake thing four years ago.
- I made the mistake of letting the boys play at the park at 1:00 in the afternoon and poor little Gray-bee burned his back going down the slide. Holden gets the classic “Lobby Lobster” red face from my side of the family so I am always worried that he is on the verge of heat stroke. Air conditioning has been my one true friend this pregnancy and venturing outside into the hot weather loses its appeal fast when the temperature is anything over 90. If the kids didn’t have Gary, I don’t think they would know what a park was. Can you tell that I am ready to have this baby?
- I think we finally broke Gray-bee of his bad habit of saying, “Ho-wah, doo-pid.” (Translation, “Holden, stupid.”) Holden was usually his victim of choice, but he had no problem targeting anyone in his path. One day he said, “Wivvy, doo-pid.” (Translation, “Livy, stupid.”) When Gary and I told him “No” he looked at us and asked, “Ho-wah, doo-pid?” How is he supposed to take his discipline seriously when we can’t stop laughing?
- I am finally able to get the pictures off of my camera again and onto the computer. The only problem is that I can’t find where on the computer they are. If only I could remember to ask Gary how to find them, but I’m sure I won’t.
In my attempts to keep Holden full of something nutritious instead of his usual food searches that result in half eaten bags of marshmallows, polishing off hidden parade candy, caramel baking bits, sugar right from the sugar container, and anything else that he finds within his reach (and what I think is NOT within his reach for that matter), I have come up with a snack drawer.
We have a second fridge on our back porch and I feel so spoiled with it. I probably could live without it, but I wouldn’t want to. I am able to buy four and sometimes six gallons of milk at a time which means fewer trips to the store and still room for everything.
Two fridges means two deli drawers. The inside fridge deli drawer holds all of the lunch meat and such and the outside fridge deli drawer holds snacks for the kids. I keep it stocked with these healthy snacks….
My favorite healthy snacks for the kids are the Mott’s Healthy Harvest Applesauces. They have no added sugar, no artificial sweeteners, and come in many yummy flavors. Blueberry delight (my kids favorite), Granny Smith Apple (this one I have not tried because it seemed like boring plain applesauce), Peach Mango, Summer Strawberry, and Country Berry.
Individual cups of Mandarin Oranges. My boys devour these. I like to get the ones in light syrup or in it’s own juice and I steer clear of the “sweetened with Splenda” varieties.
Sam’s Club just recently changed their cases of Yoplait yogurt to more kid friendly containers and three flavors instead of only two. Strawberry, Peach, and now (Amy’s favorite) Blueberry. The new lids are easier for kids to remove and there is no inside lip trapping yogurt inside.
Individual cups of Diced Peaches. For some reason these are not as popular as the oranges, but they still get eaten. Again, I prefer the light syrup or in its own juice option over the sweetened with Splenda (If you look closely the photo is a Splenda package).
You can’t go wrong with the classic cheese stick snack. Well, I guess you can go wrong if you eat twelve in one sitting. Then it’s time for the fiber snack. Lots and lots of fiber.
What are your favorite healthy snacks? I’m looking for something new to add to our drawer.
I hate taking medicine when I am pregnant. I do not get sick very often, but it seems to happen most when I am pregnant and I am too paranoid to take anything only to relieve symptoms. And I am not much of a trooper because I usually whine the whole time about how uncomfortable I am. Sounds like tons of fun for Gary, huh?
Lately I have been having major troubles falling asleep. The problem only became worse when we had a blocked drain and I was up until after 6:00 a.m. helping Gary fix it. Since then I have not been able to fall asleep before 4:00 or 5:00 a.m. This makes me a super fun mom when my kids wake up and I am a zombie. It’s even more fun when I fall asleep and wake up to my Holden having eaten half a bag of marshmallows, six packages of fruit snacks and three yogurts for lunch.
On my last visit to my doctor he asked how I was sleeping. Hmmm… how do I answer this question? Insomnia is a common enough side effect during pregnancy, but 5:00 a.m. is ridiculous. Upon hearing this he informs me that Tylenol PM is very safe (class B) to take during pregnancy. I took the information with me, but had no intention of “putting it to use”.
That night and ALL of the next day are a complete nightmare and I decide it is worth it. I decide to brave a trip to Wal-Mart for the sole purpose of buying drugs that I don’t really want to take.
That evening I stay up late enough to make sure that the kids are asleep in bed, the house is all locked up, the gate is up in the kitchen doorway (it doesn’t stop Holden, but it does slow him down a little), and anything else that needs to be done before I go to bed. I take my pre-natal vitamin and two Tylenol PM. I want to know how long it takes for this stuff to kick in so I get on the computer to see how long before I start getting sleepy. I wait, and wait and wait. STILL WAITING!
I finally go to bed thinking that maybe I need to be in a more restful state for the drugs to kick in. I toss and turn for a while (NOT falling asleep) when I notice that the baby is not doing the usual bedtime karate. Usually the minute I lay down to sleep the punches and kicks start with full force, but tonight, nothing. Hmmm… I wonder…
OH, NOW I GET IT! I just drugged my baby. I get all the Tylenol and baby gets all the PM. This is why I hate taking medicine when I am pregnant.
Liv will be in the Pioneer Day Parade with her Girl Scout troop! She is so excited to participate with her friends and for everyone to see her! The parade starts around 12:00 noon on Thursday the 24th. They will start around Center Street and 100 West (Near Stork Landing) and end up in Willow Park. All of the girls will be wearing their lime green Girl Scout t-shirts so they should be pretty easy to spot.
That evening we will also be having a family Pioneer Day dinner where we will also be celebrating Gray-bee’s birthday. The party will be at Mammy and Pappy’s and we will have the bounce house up and/or pools for the kids to play in (so bring the kids swim suits just in case).
If you can attend feel free to take on a food assignment. So far we have…
- Mammy has offered to be in charge of Chicken, burgers, hot dogs, buns, chips and drinks.
- Korby has offered to be in charge of Ice Cream and cupcakes.
- I will be in charge of a potato salad, Yogurt Berry Fluff salad (made with raspberries because I am craving that right now.) and some other thing that I am forgetting at this moment.
Suggestions for something to bring…
- Fruit Platter
- Veggie Platter
- Corn on the Cob
- I’m running out of ideas so basically anything you can come up with.
The evening will end with Pappy’s fireworks so come have fun celebrating my Gray-bee’s birthday! Oh, and the pioneers, too, I guess.
For those of you who don’t know, pregnancy can cause women to have weird dreams. I have fallen victim to this side affect many times. Here is a sampling of my weird dreams…
- I wanted to go to the temple with Gary so I got Jennifer Lopez to babysit my baby while I was gone.
- Mel’s sister, Carrie, was dying and everyone was very calm and matter of fact about it. Even Carrie. I had a conversation with her and it was like, “So you’re gonna die, huh?” and she replied, “Yeah, I guess so.” Everyone was gathering for one last…. mild party before Carrie died.
- I was dating Mike Nesmith of The Monkees and I was so excited to introduce him to my family. When I told Gary about my dream I reassured him that I would never leave him for Mike Nesmith. Please. If I was going to leave him for one of The Monkees it would be for Mickey Dolenz.
- I was introduced to a blind guy and he actively pursued me. It wasn’t as pathetic in my dream as it sounds. We were in love and we weren’t going to let his blindness get in our way. Gary wants to know why I am always trying to cheat on him in my dreams.
- There was a huge black and white rat (the size of a small dog) in our house and Mel came to the rescue by catching it in a foil lasagne pan. As she was carrying it away she started to cuddle with the large rat.
- Gary was the father of my first three children, but for some reason was no longer “in the picture”. I was still pregnant, but the baby was not Gary’s. The father of my baby was… *wince* Larry the Cable Guy. Jack Malone from Without A Trace (That’s right, I said Jack Malone, not Anthony LaPaglia. I dream in characters.) came into the room. I suddenly became very upset that my baby’s father was Larry the Cable Guy and not Jack Malone.
OR 
You would have been upset, too if your baby’s first words were destined to be, “Git-R-Done!”.
So, according to the majority of these dreams, it would seem that “Dream Heidi” is on the lookout for a new man. I just wish she was a little pickier.
I know that I have written about this before, but Super Dad is back. This time with a vengence. I should be happy since he does so many things that are “wonderful” while in Super Dad mode, but do I have to look like the cranky shrew standing next to him?
Gary’s family had planned a family camping trip up in Idaho and I felt that it was in everybody’s best interest that I not be there. Who wants the cranky overly pregnant girl who excuses herself to use the bathroom every twenty minutes (and makes it there 95% of the time)? Gary decided to take all three kids with him. I offered to keep Gray-bee with me, but Gary insisted that he take all three with him. Who was I to argue? I started looking forward to my break.
My Auntie Patti, Uncle Al and Grandma arrived in town the day before Gary was scheduled to leave for the camping trip. I was more interested in visiting family than helping Gary get ready for his trip so I took the kids over to my parents while Gary stayed home to prepare. I figured keeping the kids out of his way was my part in “helping”. Or at least that is what I tell myself.
The next day was busy as I had procrastinated getting the kids things packed thinking that Gary would be home from work around 5:00. I had a Dr.’s appointment that afternoon and I dropped the two older kids off with my mom and kept Gray-bee with me so that I didn’t have all three and neither did she. Gary calls me around 3:30 and tells me that he is on his way home. Panic sets in as I realize that Gary is starting to realize that I am not as organized as he thought I was. (Fine. He knew what a mess I was before he married me. Gary, remember that time I was and hour and a half late picking you up from work in your own car? And yet you still married me after that.)
Marrying me wasn’t a total loss for Gary. Earlier that day I cleaned out the van of all the junk laying around inside (winter coats, water bottles, random shoes, toys, trash, and only one and a half french fries.) and I even washed the outside. I didn’t vacuum, but with my growing tummy there was no way I was going to fit between the seats.
When Gary arrived home I was frantically gathering the kids stuff and he asks me if I would please make sandwiches for him and the three kids. “No way. Go to McDonald’s on your way out of town. The kids will love it and besides, it’s supposed to be a fun weekend so start em off right.” I’m sure I have more than one and a half french fries in my van now. So much for fast food resistance.
Gary takes Gray-bee with him and I thought the plan was to meet him at my parents clinic where I would wait with Liv and Holden until he got there, but when I arrived he was loading the kids up in the van and I had to run to catch them to give hugs and kisses. If I didn’t know any better I’d think that Gary was trying to skip town with the kids and not me!
After putting up with my hugs and kisses and wanting to be on their way they find out that their next stop is McDonald’s. Even though it was my suggestion, Daddy is the hero of the day. “Three cheers for Super Dad and his super human McDonald’s powers!” If I had made those sandwiches that Gary wanted I would surely have been despised. Or more despised, I should say. Being not daddy makes me very not popular.
As Gary drove off I instantly felt very alone. Reality set in that I wouldn’t have anyone to read a story to, tuck into bed, snuggle on the couch with, talk to, yell at ten times to get back into bed, roll my eyes at on their third trip to use the bathroom, threaten to turn their night light off if there was any more noise, and no one to separate when the kicking started. I miss my babies. I miss my Gary.
Since I had no one to take care of I just tagged along with my parents for the next three days. I could have used all of that time wisely and cleaned my house, but that doesn’t sound like me. Instead I chose to divide my time between resting my “impressive” 300 pound foot at home and visiting with Auntie Patti and Grandma at my parents. Since I was alone for the weekend I was asked several times where Gary or the kids were. Upon hearing that Gary had them for three days and he would be camping with all three of them everyone was so impressed with Gary. Big deal. He takes the kids all by himself for three days and now everyone thinks that he is Super Dad. Obviously they haven’t seen my foot. As mentioned before, it’s pretty impressive.
When Gary returned home on Saturday I called and asked him if he would bring the kids over to my parents so they could see my Grandma again before she leaves. They are filthy from camping, but I tell him it doesn’t matter, I just want them there. Gary shows up a little bit later with all three kids sparkling clean from the shower and clean clothes on. OK, this is getting ridiculous. Now he’s just showing off.
I try to shower my kids with love, hugs and kisses, but they breeze right past me as they walk in the door and make their way to the bounce house in the back yard. I eventually track them all down and make them endure my affection for three seconds, but I don’t care because they are all home safe. Let the night light threats and kicking commence!
*I love to tease you, Gary, and I am glad that you all had fun. Thanks for the break.*
When my family lived in Colorado I joined a Girl Scout troop. I loved all of the fun things that we got to do together even if we were the sorriest troop around. We couldn’t even start a fire in a fire place. I know because we tried. I remember selling cookies one year, but I have no memory of delivering them. I may have unintentionally made some enemies in Colorado that I am not aware of.
When Liv was eighteen months old I took her to the fair and one of the booths was run by a local Girl Scout troop. I ran right over to find out everything I could and, most importantly, when I could sign Liv up! Daisy Scouts are five years old. Five years old!?! I have to wait for three and a half years before I can force her to re-live my wonderful scouting experience. I never forgot. With every one of her birthdays that passed I counted down until she could join. Then I found out that I have to wait until she is in Kindergarten and the school year starts. This five years is taking FOREVER!!!
We went to an end of year party at the elementary school that she will be attending next school year and they had tons of booths set up showcasing all sorts of events available during the summer. The very last booth was a Girl Scout booth. I gathered up all of the information and found out that there is a summer program available for Pre-Kindergarten kids. We’re in!
I get an e-mail with all of the information about our first meeting. I then make a decision concerning Girl Scouts that is for Liv and not for me. (Shocking, I know, but I do have moments of non-crazy when pregnant.) I call Liv over, read her the e-mail and ask her if this is something she wants to do. “Yes! I really want to go! Do we get to go today? I really want to go, Mom!” This was the reaction I was hoping for and all I had to do was ask, but where is the fun in that?
For an entire week leading up to the meeting Liv would ask every day if it was “Girl Scout Day” and every day I would have to tell her “Not today.” When the day finally came she was so happy, but as we pulled up to the house she started to look unsure of her decision. I put my arm around her and told her that she would probably be a little bit shy at first because she didn’t know anyone there, but after a little bit she would start to make friends and she wouldn’t be shy anymore. I gave her a hug and she took my hand as we walked in. I saw all of the girls and their mothers (and two fathers) and I fell in love all over again. Liv however felt a little bit overwhelmed and latched onto my hand with a Kung-Fu death grip. After a brief orientation together they asked the girls and parents to separate and I didn’t think the doctors would be able to save my poor hand. I was able to get Liv to release my hand and the blood returned (phew) as I walked her over to an available chair at the table. I then took my place with the rest of the parents to find out all about the summer program. Liv later told me that I was right. “I was shy at first and then I made friends and I wasn’t shy anymore!”
I don’t know how I lucked out and fell into this, but because our area is “under something-ed” and the Girl Scouts are funding this program. This means that I don’t have to pay for a thing. There is an annual fee of $10 which is nothing, but for me it really is nothing. I don’t have to pay it. Liv also gets a free Daisy vest and all of her Daisy petal patches for FREE!! Every craft that she makes and brings home, every snack she eats, every meeting… FREE!!!
We have another meeting tonight and Liv worked on her Wave the Flag Try-It badge. This past week she learned about the flag, celebrated Independence Day, worked on doing good deeds, and she even made a collage about America. I am so ready to sew that badge on her uniform (even if it is an iron-on).
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Surprise, surprise, we were running late getting Liv to class on her first day. I’m sure I just added to the chaos with my frantic, “Hurry! Get in the car! Buckle your seat! Hurry up! Gray-bee! Come here! Get out of the car! Put that down! This way!” with the occasional calm, “Stop and turn around so I can take your picture. Okay, now smile. You look so cute, Liv. I am so proud of you.” mixed in and then right back to, “Hurry up! We’re late! Move it!”.
Liv was a little bit nervous about her first day, but what helped the most was having her cousin, Taft, in her class with her. I was so excited when I found out that they would be in the same class. I asked her who she played with on her first day and she very proudly told me she played with Taft.
First, Liv put away her backpack.
Second, she found the yellow bus with her name on it and put it on the blue chart.
Third, she found the blue bear with her name on it to help the teachers learn the kids names.
Then she found her cousin, Taft.
When school let out the teachers each brought their classes out in groups and Liv was so excited to go back and find her teacher to say
