Preschooler Status

September 28, 2015

Preschooler Status

It's official, Harper is a preschooler.

Tomorrow marks the start of her third week of classes at Karing Kingdom Preschool. Two days a week in 2 1/2 hour blocks, Harper gathers with her classmates and teachers to learn, play and have fun!

Every Tuesday and Thursday I look forward to picking her up after work to hear about her day. She tells us about the friends she played with, the snacks they shared and how we all need to "fill other people's buckets." She informed us, "You can fill someone else's bucket by being nice to them and using your manners." The last three weeks every time Emmett does something wrong she is quick to remind him, "Buddy, that's NOT filling someone's bucket!" The term "filling your bucket" is used on a daily basis now and it's a good reminder for us adults too. Be nice, fill someone else's bucket!

So far they've been busy picking carrots for CROSS, learning about 9-1-1, making endless crafts that are taking over our refrigerator and having fun just being preschool kids. I'm so excited for this new adventure Harper is embarking on and for the fun that's yet to come.

As Summer wraps up we're trying to sneak in all of our "end of summer" traditions, one of them being the Renaissance Festival. I was a marketing intern with Mid-America Festivals in college (was that really 8 years ago? Yikes!) and have made an annual trip back to Ren Fest a "must-do" on our Summer itinerary.

Here is a photo from my interning days where we ditched the polos and wore an actual costume out at the Festival. :)

This year was Harper's most enjoyable year so far. She received a special coin from a dragon, met the actual Cinderella, got her face painted and rode a pony all while sporting a flower crown. It was a pretty magical day for Princess Harper of House Helleen.

Emmett lounged in the stroller most of our trip and unfortunately experienced his first bee sting. Those little buzzers were everywhere and they got the best of E's arm. He cried for a second but calmed down once we got him out of the stroller. Poor little buddy. Next year he'll be running around right behind his sister!

Before we left we had to stop and watch people hurl tomatoes at the Vegetable Justice booth. Out of all the things we did, this was Harper's favorite. When I asked, "What's your favorite thing at the Renaissance Festival?" She didn't even skip a beat before answering, "The tomato guy." We sat and watched the man behind the boards shout insults while festival goers paid to try to whack him the face with a few tomatoes. As silly as it sounds, it truly is endless entertainment. I think in a few years Harper will be ready for her first throw. Watch out!

Last Monday Mitch left for California where he was working for the whole week. Sunday before leaving for 5 days, he soaked up as much play time and snuggles he could with the kiddos. He left early Monday morning leaving me home alone for the week with both kiddos.

Every morning Harper asked, "Where is Dad?," "Why is he gone?" and "When will he be home?" By the end of the week I think she was just asking out of habit, she clearly knew all the answers!

I managed to get out of the house on time each morning which I found pretty impressive. :) I brought the kids to their first Fall session of Music Together where we received our new CD and songbook. Emmett loved playing the sticks and bongos. Harper still seems to love all things music related. In the last week I bet I've listened to the same songs at least 100 times. "A Ram Sam Sam, A Ram Sam Sam…"

Dance was Tuesday and probably my worst night of the week. Harper was napless (with Preschool, we have no time for naps in afternoon) and bouncing off the walls. I'm learning No Nap Harper = Crazy Amounts of Energy Harper. We came home and made dinner. I was using a grill pan that had coconut oil on it, so the upstairs filled with smoke setting off the smoke detectors. Harper was screaming, Emmett was crying and I was running around opening windows and fanning the air. Finally the piercing beeps stopped and the kids calmed down, for a while. Before the kids went to bed, Emmett managed to dump an entire can of Diet Coke onto the carpet while I turned my head to grab a diaper and Harper had a major meltdown because I would not let her eat toothpaste. Once the kids were in bed I literally sat my tush on the couch and did nothing. It was amazing.

The rest of the week was pretty smooth compared to my Tuesday experience. We had a few dinner dates - Wednesday with Jenna and sweet baby Cole and Thursday with Amanda. I decided to take Friday off work and go with my Mom to Junk Bonanza at Canterbury Park. Deb watched the kiddos while my Mom and I rummaged through vintage finds and repurposed goodies. We added a couple pieces of jewelry to our collection but walked away with a list full of DIY projects.

Friday night Mitch got in late, but I let Harper stay up and wait for him. When she heard the door open she leaped out of her bed and took off running screaming, "Daddy! Daddy!!!" It was pretty heart-melting. I was so happy to have my other half back home. We missed him dearly and I have a whole new appreciation for single mothers. They are all saints.