*Bullee - One who is bullied
It is happening. One of my worst school fears. Michael is getting bullied.
Two days ago he came home from school and told me that some kids at school were teasing him during lunch.
"They were saying that I "liked" R," he said. "You know, like love kind of like." R is his best friend.
"They made me so mad that I started crying," he added.
I asked him if anyone around him did anything.
"U went and told the lunch lady. She told the kids that what they were doing is bullying and that she could take them to the principal's office. That made them stop."
I told him that I was very glad that someone stuck up for him and that I was glad that the lunch lady addressed the problem. Then we discussed ways to handle the situation if it happens again.
Fast forward two days to this morning. During breakfast Michael tells me that yesterday R was the object of the teasing. Same kid, different day.
"Well, did you stand up for him like U did for you?" I ask.
"No, but I will next time," Michael replies. I try not to lecture but I tell him that this is very important, not only to stand up for himself but for others who are being bullied. I know he's heard this before: at school, at karate, and from Jeff and I.
Then Michael adds a little more information. "Mom, they tease R and I all the time about being best friends. They sing 'Michael and R sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G."
I ask him who everyone is. He, of course, can't remember at first, but then he gives up a name. I know this kid. I know that he's bright and funny, yet is hyper and in 3rd grade already has the label of "troublemaker".
Jeff, who is home sick, jumps in and suggests that Michael diffuse the situation with kindness if it happens again. "Maybe he's jealous because you have a friend and he doesn't," says Jeff. "Next time ask him if he wants to play with you and R. Maybe that's all he needs."
Michael mulls this over. He thinks it's a good idea and says he will try it out. I wonder if he actually will. I think he suffers from the same disease that I do, which is that when faced with a conflict our words are eclipsed by our emotions and we fail to stick up for ourselves.
You see, I know where Michael is coming from. I too had a best friend in 3rd grade. Girls who were jealous of that friendship tried to bring me down by teasing. You know what? It worked.
I don't think I told anyone about the teasing, certainly not my parents. The fact of the matter is that I was afraid to speak up and I didn't know how to stick up for myself. As a result, the barrage of teasing and insults kept coming. Pretty soon my self-esteem was zero, and it remained that way for almost 20 years, extending way beyond childhood and into my adult years.
I don't want to see my kids go through what I had to go through as a child. No one should have to suffer teasing and bullying. It's effects can be life-altering and last a lifetime.
One of the most important things we can teach our children is how to stand up for themselves and to respect themselves and others. I am thankful that the schools are beginning to teach this in school. In fact, Michael's class was talked to about verbal bullying just a few weeks ago. What to do if you're bullied is becoming part of the kids' consciousness.
I am thrilled that Michael confided in me about this situation. I've heard many stories about "mean girls" in elementary school and have asked Michael many times if he ever witnessed or experienced bullying at school. Until this week he had always said that he hadn't.
It's always good to have an open line of communication with our children but I think it's especially important to do so now. Bullying has got to stop. Kids have got to know that words can do as much, if not more, damage as punches or kicks.
So I'm going to keep on the situation, being a nosy mom and asking questions until I'm blue in the face. Maybe instead of movie night or game night we'll initiate bully night at home and provide a pretend environment where the kids can run through different situations and practice what they would say to a bully.
I e-mailed Michael's teacher this morning to let her know of the
situation. I told her that while I was hoping that Michael would handle
the problem on his own I felt it was important for her to know what was
going on. She responded that she would address the issue because "teasing is not tolerated and we will make sure it stops." Hurray!!!
I am mother. Hear me roar!!
Have you or your kids ever experienced bullying? How did you handle it? How did your kids handle it? I'd love to hear your stories!!!
About Me
- Jennifer
- I'm a wife of 19 years to Jeff and mother to two teens, Michael 18, and Tracy 15. The cats, Hannah and Leia,are female so I have a little female energy in the house besides me! In my previous life BK (before kids) I was a technical writer, poet, and essayist. Now I'm a write-at-home mom who tries to find the balance between writing, doing for kids, doing for hubbie, doing for the house, and doing for myself.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Growing Pains
There's something going on with Michael. He's an emotional mess. Perhaps he's going through a growth spurt and maybe that's making him so crabby and tired, but I think there's more to it. There usually is.
Michael's been moping around with this sour look on his face for about a month now. He only seems to be happy when he's left alone to play with his Legos or read, or when he's playing with friends. When I ask him to do something like set the table or clean his room my requests are met with defiance or whining. Life with Michael has become a series of small battles and my patience is thinning, my frustration level is high, and I am sad because Michael and I are out of sorts with each other.
Over the last year or so Jeff and I have increased Michael's duties around the house and assigned him chores. We feel that it will instill in him a sense of responsibility, help him understand limits and consequences, and help him feel like part of the family. At first he was excited about helping out, but as time went on he discovered that these chores interfered with his time to have fun. Now he's turned into a constant whiner.
Michael won't say what's wrong and he probably doesn't know why he is acting so poorly, but after much thinking on the issue, I think I have figured out the problem: Michael is stuck at a crossroad - independence vs. dependance. He wants to grow up and experience/do more, yet he doesn't want to let go of being a child. I can feel his yearning to need me less and less and do more things for himself, but at the same time I feel his reluctance to let go of being a little boy.
He's not alone. "Eight-year-olds will be proud of the fact that they are able to do many things on their own and will increasingly express a desire for privacy," says Michael Thompson, author of Raising and Understanding Boys. He adds, "At the same time, 8-year-old children will still need and want guidance and support from their parents."
This is so true. I remember when Michael was an infant, so tiny and small. I was responsible for fulfilling his every need - to feed him, to change his diaper, to put him to sleep, and to love him unconditionally. As he grew older, I was able to slowly give him more responsibility for these needs. First it was getting dressed - I remember the joy on his face when he mastered buttoning and zipping. Then came putting on his own shoes and socks, brushing his own teeth, reading his own bedtime stories, etc. Now that he's almost 9, he still needs me but in different ways: can you please find my library books, where is my cub scout shirt, can you make me a snack?
Michael's need for privacy has certainly increased in the last year. He spends hours in his room reading or playing with Legos. And his social network has shifted as well - now his friends are beginning to be more important than his parents. (I knew this day was coming but I wasn't expecting it so soon.)
Michael has a best friend this year, a boy that lives on the far end of our neighborhood (meaning that our houses are not within easy walking distance). He always wants to play with him, like he can't seem to get enough of this boy. When he can't play, Michael gets really upset.
I know this is not just happening in our house. According to Scholastic.com, friendships take on a greater importance in 3rd grade. An article on the site says that "between the ages of 8 and 9, children start acquiring new emotional and cognitive skills and see their peers in a different light. Child development experts agree that close friendships can be good for children for a number of reasons. They can provide shelter and protection from traumatic childhood experiences, teasing and rejection among them."
I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by Michael's behavior for he is very much like me as a child. I remember when I was in third grade. My best friend and I wanted to play every day after school. Most days I think we did. However, back then we had more free time and less scheduling. We did all our work at school and there was no assigned homework. Neither of us participated in any sports.The only activities I had was girl scouts and piano lessons. Both of these were right after school.
I've tried really hard to avoid over-scheduling my boys. We're very relaxed people and all need our down time. Up until this year Michael was only in one activity at a time. This year, however, he wanted to be in karate so we signed him up and he loves it. But, it comes with a price: it adds two more days to the schedule. Now we have karate two nights a week and scouts one night. Add homework into the mix and you've got a full schedule.
Now I get it. Michael's in transition. He's trying to figure himself out and how this new self relates to the environment around him. Throw in a few too many activities, not enough free time, and a mom who is on his case all the time and it's no wonder that he's a ticking time bomb!
I do admit I'm a little sad because my little boy is growing up. I know this is only the beginning - as he grows older he will try out even more emotions on me because I am his mother and mothers can weather emotional storms like no other (but believe me is it ever trying!!).
Thompson says, "Boys pretend that they don't need their mothers because it makes them feel more grown up and strong. That doesn't fool anyone and it shouldn't fool you. He needs you more than he can ever say. He needs you to hold him when he collapses and cries, even if he can't tell you why he is so frustrated and mad." Hear, hear, I say!!!
I guess I should cut Michael a little slack as he goes through these growing pains. Can I be more understanding of his needs? Sure. Can I cut down on the nagging? Of course. Will I still see red when he constantly whines? Absolutely, but I know it won't last.
Most importantly, though, will I love him unconditionally? Forever!
Michael's been moping around with this sour look on his face for about a month now. He only seems to be happy when he's left alone to play with his Legos or read, or when he's playing with friends. When I ask him to do something like set the table or clean his room my requests are met with defiance or whining. Life with Michael has become a series of small battles and my patience is thinning, my frustration level is high, and I am sad because Michael and I are out of sorts with each other.
Over the last year or so Jeff and I have increased Michael's duties around the house and assigned him chores. We feel that it will instill in him a sense of responsibility, help him understand limits and consequences, and help him feel like part of the family. At first he was excited about helping out, but as time went on he discovered that these chores interfered with his time to have fun. Now he's turned into a constant whiner.
Michael won't say what's wrong and he probably doesn't know why he is acting so poorly, but after much thinking on the issue, I think I have figured out the problem: Michael is stuck at a crossroad - independence vs. dependance. He wants to grow up and experience/do more, yet he doesn't want to let go of being a child. I can feel his yearning to need me less and less and do more things for himself, but at the same time I feel his reluctance to let go of being a little boy.
He's not alone. "Eight-year-olds will be proud of the fact that they are able to do many things on their own and will increasingly express a desire for privacy," says Michael Thompson, author of Raising and Understanding Boys. He adds, "At the same time, 8-year-old children will still need and want guidance and support from their parents."
This is so true. I remember when Michael was an infant, so tiny and small. I was responsible for fulfilling his every need - to feed him, to change his diaper, to put him to sleep, and to love him unconditionally. As he grew older, I was able to slowly give him more responsibility for these needs. First it was getting dressed - I remember the joy on his face when he mastered buttoning and zipping. Then came putting on his own shoes and socks, brushing his own teeth, reading his own bedtime stories, etc. Now that he's almost 9, he still needs me but in different ways: can you please find my library books, where is my cub scout shirt, can you make me a snack?
Michael's need for privacy has certainly increased in the last year. He spends hours in his room reading or playing with Legos. And his social network has shifted as well - now his friends are beginning to be more important than his parents. (I knew this day was coming but I wasn't expecting it so soon.)
Michael has a best friend this year, a boy that lives on the far end of our neighborhood (meaning that our houses are not within easy walking distance). He always wants to play with him, like he can't seem to get enough of this boy. When he can't play, Michael gets really upset.
I know this is not just happening in our house. According to Scholastic.com, friendships take on a greater importance in 3rd grade. An article on the site says that "between the ages of 8 and 9, children start acquiring new emotional and cognitive skills and see their peers in a different light. Child development experts agree that close friendships can be good for children for a number of reasons. They can provide shelter and protection from traumatic childhood experiences, teasing and rejection among them."
I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by Michael's behavior for he is very much like me as a child. I remember when I was in third grade. My best friend and I wanted to play every day after school. Most days I think we did. However, back then we had more free time and less scheduling. We did all our work at school and there was no assigned homework. Neither of us participated in any sports.The only activities I had was girl scouts and piano lessons. Both of these were right after school.
I've tried really hard to avoid over-scheduling my boys. We're very relaxed people and all need our down time. Up until this year Michael was only in one activity at a time. This year, however, he wanted to be in karate so we signed him up and he loves it. But, it comes with a price: it adds two more days to the schedule. Now we have karate two nights a week and scouts one night. Add homework into the mix and you've got a full schedule.
Now I get it. Michael's in transition. He's trying to figure himself out and how this new self relates to the environment around him. Throw in a few too many activities, not enough free time, and a mom who is on his case all the time and it's no wonder that he's a ticking time bomb!
I do admit I'm a little sad because my little boy is growing up. I know this is only the beginning - as he grows older he will try out even more emotions on me because I am his mother and mothers can weather emotional storms like no other (but believe me is it ever trying!!).
Thompson says, "Boys pretend that they don't need their mothers because it makes them feel more grown up and strong. That doesn't fool anyone and it shouldn't fool you. He needs you more than he can ever say. He needs you to hold him when he collapses and cries, even if he can't tell you why he is so frustrated and mad." Hear, hear, I say!!!
I guess I should cut Michael a little slack as he goes through these growing pains. Can I be more understanding of his needs? Sure. Can I cut down on the nagging? Of course. Will I still see red when he constantly whines? Absolutely, but I know it won't last.
Most importantly, though, will I love him unconditionally? Forever!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
The Rock
This week we started our third week of school and I'm pleased to report that everything is now running smoothly. Michael is thriving in third grade (and finally being challenged in his spelling words!). Nicholas had a bit of a rough start but he's finally settling into kindergarten.
Lake Orion schools are smart. The first week of school they ease the kindergarten teachers and kids into the routine by having a staggered start. The first day only half of the students come to school, then the next day the other half attend. On the third day of school, which is Friday, everyone comes together for the first time.
Even so, going to kindergarten is a big adjustment. The first day Nicholas got off the bus with lots to say but the minute he walked in the house he ran right for the bathroom.
"Have to go peeee..." he shouted.
"Didn't you go at school today?" I asked.
"No. The teacher didn't ask if we had to go," replied Nicholas. In pre-K last year the teachers would line the kids up once or twice for a bathroom trip. Nicholas's kindergarten class has bathrooms right in the room so he can go whenever he wants. I don't think he realized this fact.
The next day of school the whole class was there - all 25 of them. He seemed a little overwhelmed when he got off the bus that afternoon.
"Michael, were you at that big, gigantic recess?" he exclaimed to his brother while we were walking home.
Michael was confused. "What big recess?" he asked.
"You know, the really big recess with all the kids!" Nicholas replied.
"Oh, I know what you're talking about," I said. "You're talking about the lunch recess right?" Today had been his first recess with all the kids.
"Yeah, that gigantic recess. I cried cause I missed Michael," Nicholas said matter-of-factly. Hmm, interesting.
"Well, did you find your friend Casey?" I asked. Casey was in the other kindergarten class and his mom and I had told our boys to look for each other on the playground. A familiar face often works wonders.
"No, I couldn't find him," said Nicholas.
The next week I received more reports about crying at the big, gigantic recess. On Monday, Nicholas did find Casey and they both cried together because they missed their moms. It became evident that I needed to do something to help Nicholas feel less overwhelmed, but what? I was in new territory because Michael had never had any troubles with kindergarten, well any that he told me about anyway.
So I turned to my wise sister-in-law who is a noon aide at my niece's elementary. She suggested that I find a small, flat rock that Nicholas could keep in his pocket. When he was missing me or feeling blue he could reach in his pocket, feel that rock, and be reminded of me.
And that's what I did. I found a small rock in the shape of a circle and drew a heart on one side and the words "I love you" on the back. Wednesday morning I showed Nicholas the rock and told him what it was for. As I put it in his pocket I told him to reach in and feel it when he felt like he needed some Mama love. I couldn't wait for him to get home that day so I could see if it worked.
It did. That afternoon Nicholas ran off the bus and gave me a great big hug. "Mom," he said excitedly, "at recess I started crying a little and then I remembered about the rock and it made me stop crying!"
"I'm so glad," I said as I gave him a kiss on the head.
The next afternoon he told me that he cried a little in class because he lost the rock at recess. "Can you make me another one?" he added. I promised that I would.
However, as we were about to go out the door on Friday morning I realized that I hadn't made a new one. I didn't have time to go find a rock so I quickly wrote "I love you" on a yellow piece of paper and put it in Nicholas's pocket.
When Nicholas got off the bus that afternoon he was a veritable chatterbox about school. As he was talking, he reached in his pocket.
"Here, Mom," he said handing me the yellow piece of paper that I had given him earlier. "I don't need this anymore. I didn't cry today at recess. Casey and I played instead."
Hurray!!! Problem solved! I felt a surge of joy reach my face and spread my mouth into a smile. I looked down at Nicholas. He was smiling and laughing as he skipped down the road with his brother and friend. My kindergartener had arrived!!
Out of the mouths of babes: Yesterday Nicholas learned about the Pledge of Allegiance. They learned all about the different words in the Pledge ( pledge, allegiance, indivisible, liberty, justice, and Republic) and what each word meant. Nicholas had his own description for the word Republic, however. "Mom, I thought they were talking about the Star Wars Republic Gunship," he reported. Oh, the things you learn by having an older brother :)
Lake Orion schools are smart. The first week of school they ease the kindergarten teachers and kids into the routine by having a staggered start. The first day only half of the students come to school, then the next day the other half attend. On the third day of school, which is Friday, everyone comes together for the first time.
Even so, going to kindergarten is a big adjustment. The first day Nicholas got off the bus with lots to say but the minute he walked in the house he ran right for the bathroom.
"Have to go peeee..." he shouted.
"Didn't you go at school today?" I asked.
"No. The teacher didn't ask if we had to go," replied Nicholas. In pre-K last year the teachers would line the kids up once or twice for a bathroom trip. Nicholas's kindergarten class has bathrooms right in the room so he can go whenever he wants. I don't think he realized this fact.
The next day of school the whole class was there - all 25 of them. He seemed a little overwhelmed when he got off the bus that afternoon.
"Michael, were you at that big, gigantic recess?" he exclaimed to his brother while we were walking home.
Michael was confused. "What big recess?" he asked.
"You know, the really big recess with all the kids!" Nicholas replied.
"Oh, I know what you're talking about," I said. "You're talking about the lunch recess right?" Today had been his first recess with all the kids.
"Yeah, that gigantic recess. I cried cause I missed Michael," Nicholas said matter-of-factly. Hmm, interesting.
"Well, did you find your friend Casey?" I asked. Casey was in the other kindergarten class and his mom and I had told our boys to look for each other on the playground. A familiar face often works wonders.
"No, I couldn't find him," said Nicholas.
The next week I received more reports about crying at the big, gigantic recess. On Monday, Nicholas did find Casey and they both cried together because they missed their moms. It became evident that I needed to do something to help Nicholas feel less overwhelmed, but what? I was in new territory because Michael had never had any troubles with kindergarten, well any that he told me about anyway.
So I turned to my wise sister-in-law who is a noon aide at my niece's elementary. She suggested that I find a small, flat rock that Nicholas could keep in his pocket. When he was missing me or feeling blue he could reach in his pocket, feel that rock, and be reminded of me.
And that's what I did. I found a small rock in the shape of a circle and drew a heart on one side and the words "I love you" on the back. Wednesday morning I showed Nicholas the rock and told him what it was for. As I put it in his pocket I told him to reach in and feel it when he felt like he needed some Mama love. I couldn't wait for him to get home that day so I could see if it worked.
It did. That afternoon Nicholas ran off the bus and gave me a great big hug. "Mom," he said excitedly, "at recess I started crying a little and then I remembered about the rock and it made me stop crying!"
"I'm so glad," I said as I gave him a kiss on the head.
The next afternoon he told me that he cried a little in class because he lost the rock at recess. "Can you make me another one?" he added. I promised that I would.
However, as we were about to go out the door on Friday morning I realized that I hadn't made a new one. I didn't have time to go find a rock so I quickly wrote "I love you" on a yellow piece of paper and put it in Nicholas's pocket.
When Nicholas got off the bus that afternoon he was a veritable chatterbox about school. As he was talking, he reached in his pocket.
"Here, Mom," he said handing me the yellow piece of paper that I had given him earlier. "I don't need this anymore. I didn't cry today at recess. Casey and I played instead."
Hurray!!! Problem solved! I felt a surge of joy reach my face and spread my mouth into a smile. I looked down at Nicholas. He was smiling and laughing as he skipped down the road with his brother and friend. My kindergartener had arrived!!
Out of the mouths of babes: Yesterday Nicholas learned about the Pledge of Allegiance. They learned all about the different words in the Pledge ( pledge, allegiance, indivisible, liberty, justice, and Republic) and what each word meant. Nicholas had his own description for the word Republic, however. "Mom, I thought they were talking about the Star Wars Republic Gunship," he reported. Oh, the things you learn by having an older brother :)
Friday, September 9, 2011
A Letter To My Kindergartener
Dear Nicholas:
This week you started Kindergarten! Yippee!! Hooray!! Hallelujah!! I'm very proud of you because you did it without tears or temper tantrums. I knew you would, though, because you're a big boy and also because you're ready.
At Kindergarten orientation on Tuesday you met some of the kids in your class. Ella you already knew from Pre-K. I think she'll be a big help to you because she's a familiar face. I could already see how it's going to be with you two as you made silly faces at each other and sat next to each other on the little bus ride.
We saw another familiar face, and that is your teacher, Mrs. N, the same teacher Michael had for kindergarten. I was so relieved when we got the letter in the mail informing us that she was going to be your teacher. I know it will make your kindergarten experience that much easier.
Of course, in true Nicholas fashion you didn't want to participate in the Orientation activities and clung to me the whole time.
"You do it," you exclaimed when I told you it was time to put your school supplies in the bins Mrs. N had placed throughout the room. Likewise you didn't want to do the craft that Mrs. N had arranged. But, you did them anyway. It was frustrating to me to have you act that way but I knew that this was just your way of expressing your nervousness and fear about starting kindergarten. Still, I was feeling a bit of trepidation - what if you were like this in class? I know how stubborn you can be.
At home that afternoon we had so much fun together - our little last hurrah of mommy and Nicholas time. We built towers with rectangular blocks and used letter blocks to make words for you to read (mad, sad, and, mat, fat, pat). Then we used Jenga blocks as dominoes. You estimated that we used 100 blocks to make our line, while I estimated 50. After counting them all we discovered that, at 84 blocks, your estimation was the closest! You were so happy that you beat me! Later on we made applesauce together - I peeled and you used the apple slicer to make chunks. "Let me do it," you said confidently.
As we worked together I realized all that we had accomplished that afternoon - reading, spelling, counting, estimating - all skills that you will be working on in kindergarten. And you did them in such a way that you probably didn't view it as work. Yep, no doubt about it - you are ready for kindergarten. But am I ready to let you go?
The truth of the matter is that I am. Your entry into the elementary journey is a lot different than Michael's was and I feel secure in the knowledge that you will be safe and in a place you will thrive. When Michael began kindergarten everything was new to us. We were new to the school, we didn't know his teacher, and he didn't know any of his classmates. Michael didn't have a friend to sit with on the bus either, or a big brother to walk him to his classroom, like you do.
Michael was a lot more innocent at five than you are, partly because you have the experience of being around your older brother and his friends and partly because you are more worldly than he is. When Michael was your age we didn't know about Phineas and Ferb or Spongebob - we still watched Sesame Street and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
Waking you up from a deep sleep at 7:00 a.m. on your first day of school was hard - you need all the sleep you can get to make it through the day and I hated to wake you. You were so tired that morning that I took pity on you and helped you get dressed when you asked. I even had to feed you breakfast to ensure you would have something in your tummy.
You perked right up, though, when we left for the bus stop and you saw your friend Jack from across the street walking with his parents. You ran right up to him, leaving me in the dust.
When the bus came, you gave me a quick hug and kiss, then boarded the bus with your peers. I waved to your smiling little bespectacled face as the bus pulled away, and then you were off. Despite my feelings of joy at this moment because you FINALLY made it to kindergarten, I felt myself tearing up. After all, you are my youngest child, my baby (although you haven't been a baby for years), and we are entering a whole new chapter of our lives. We are done with the nurturing preschool years and are entering the self-sufficient elementary years.
I feel that the preschool years were just long enough - we got to spend a lot of quality time together. But I know from experience now that the elementary years race on by - in just three short years I'll be putting Michael on the bus to middle school and you'll be the one in 3rd grade! So I will do everything in my power to savor every moment of elementary school.
I'm looking forward to seeing you grow and expand this year as I know you will. In no time you'll be telling me stories about what you and your best buddies do at recess, and I'll be watching as you begin to read and write with confidence.
Nicholas, I hope you know that whatever chapter of life you're in I will be standing in it with tears of joy and love because I'm so proud to be your mom!
This week you started Kindergarten! Yippee!! Hooray!! Hallelujah!! I'm very proud of you because you did it without tears or temper tantrums. I knew you would, though, because you're a big boy and also because you're ready.
At Kindergarten orientation on Tuesday you met some of the kids in your class. Ella you already knew from Pre-K. I think she'll be a big help to you because she's a familiar face. I could already see how it's going to be with you two as you made silly faces at each other and sat next to each other on the little bus ride.
We saw another familiar face, and that is your teacher, Mrs. N, the same teacher Michael had for kindergarten. I was so relieved when we got the letter in the mail informing us that she was going to be your teacher. I know it will make your kindergarten experience that much easier.
Of course, in true Nicholas fashion you didn't want to participate in the Orientation activities and clung to me the whole time.
"You do it," you exclaimed when I told you it was time to put your school supplies in the bins Mrs. N had placed throughout the room. Likewise you didn't want to do the craft that Mrs. N had arranged. But, you did them anyway. It was frustrating to me to have you act that way but I knew that this was just your way of expressing your nervousness and fear about starting kindergarten. Still, I was feeling a bit of trepidation - what if you were like this in class? I know how stubborn you can be.At home that afternoon we had so much fun together - our little last hurrah of mommy and Nicholas time. We built towers with rectangular blocks and used letter blocks to make words for you to read (mad, sad, and, mat, fat, pat). Then we used Jenga blocks as dominoes. You estimated that we used 100 blocks to make our line, while I estimated 50. After counting them all we discovered that, at 84 blocks, your estimation was the closest! You were so happy that you beat me! Later on we made applesauce together - I peeled and you used the apple slicer to make chunks. "Let me do it," you said confidently.
As we worked together I realized all that we had accomplished that afternoon - reading, spelling, counting, estimating - all skills that you will be working on in kindergarten. And you did them in such a way that you probably didn't view it as work. Yep, no doubt about it - you are ready for kindergarten. But am I ready to let you go?
The truth of the matter is that I am. Your entry into the elementary journey is a lot different than Michael's was and I feel secure in the knowledge that you will be safe and in a place you will thrive. When Michael began kindergarten everything was new to us. We were new to the school, we didn't know his teacher, and he didn't know any of his classmates. Michael didn't have a friend to sit with on the bus either, or a big brother to walk him to his classroom, like you do.
Michael was a lot more innocent at five than you are, partly because you have the experience of being around your older brother and his friends and partly because you are more worldly than he is. When Michael was your age we didn't know about Phineas and Ferb or Spongebob - we still watched Sesame Street and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
Waking you up from a deep sleep at 7:00 a.m. on your first day of school was hard - you need all the sleep you can get to make it through the day and I hated to wake you. You were so tired that morning that I took pity on you and helped you get dressed when you asked. I even had to feed you breakfast to ensure you would have something in your tummy.
You perked right up, though, when we left for the bus stop and you saw your friend Jack from across the street walking with his parents. You ran right up to him, leaving me in the dust.When the bus came, you gave me a quick hug and kiss, then boarded the bus with your peers. I waved to your smiling little bespectacled face as the bus pulled away, and then you were off. Despite my feelings of joy at this moment because you FINALLY made it to kindergarten, I felt myself tearing up. After all, you are my youngest child, my baby (although you haven't been a baby for years), and we are entering a whole new chapter of our lives. We are done with the nurturing preschool years and are entering the self-sufficient elementary years.
I feel that the preschool years were just long enough - we got to spend a lot of quality time together. But I know from experience now that the elementary years race on by - in just three short years I'll be putting Michael on the bus to middle school and you'll be the one in 3rd grade! So I will do everything in my power to savor every moment of elementary school.
I'm looking forward to seeing you grow and expand this year as I know you will. In no time you'll be telling me stories about what you and your best buddies do at recess, and I'll be watching as you begin to read and write with confidence.
Nicholas, I hope you know that whatever chapter of life you're in I will be standing in it with tears of joy and love because I'm so proud to be your mom!
Monday, June 6, 2011
The Countdown
It's June 5th and I'm starting a countdown to summer: 10 more wake-up calls in the morning, 8 more lunches I have to make for Michael, 6 more trips to Pre-K and back. In 4 days, Nicholas will "graduate" from Pre-K and become a kindergartener. In 10 days, Michael will be a 3rd grader. This means that I only have 15 more hours of precious free time and then summer vacation will be upon us.
This is the end of an era for me as next year both boys will be in school all day long. I have to admit I get a bit teary every time I think about it. It's not just the fact that for the first time in 8 years my life won't exclusively revolve around my kids and I can start to pursue something that is just my own (which is a little scary). It's that my youngest is growing up and the preschool years are over. It's a bittersweet feeling. I've been both waiting for and dreading this day.
The preschool years - what a busy time! While I'm happy to put potty training, naps, and hour-long tantrums behind me, there are many things I look back fondly upon: leisurely picnics in the front yard, playing baseball all afternoon, watching the Imagination Movers, taking "nature hikes" at 8:00 a.m., and going "garage-sale-ing" for treasures.
I admit it will be nice to be able to get the laundry completely done without having to leave it half folded because I ran out of time before Pre-K pickup at 11:30 a.m. However, I will no longer be able to use Nicholas as my excuse if the house is still a wreck at 3:30 p.m. I imagine that at first I'll be a little lonely without my little entertainer to keep me company. I do, however, have 8 years of writing backlogged in my imagination to attend to.
Regardless of my feelings, Nicholas no longer thinks that he can be home schooled and accepts that he is going to Kindergarten next year. In fact, I think he's a little excited. He talks about who will be in his class and is curious about how the bus ride to school will work. He's also entered the world of pre-reading: sounding words out on his own and matching words with pictures. My heart is full because it is evident that we made the right decision to put him into Pre-K this year - he's confident, self-assured, and so much more mature (well, as mature as you can be when you're 5!).
The fact that Michael will be entering 3rd grade seems impossible to me. I remember 3rd grade, that time when kids begin to really mature. I've been told that the work load increases dramatically. Next year Michael will be learning cursive writing, more complicated multiplication and division, and he will be taking the standardized MEAP tests. Michael will handle that fine as he's a very bright boy. It's the behaviors that come with the upper elementary grades that often concern me. Michael has managed to get through grades K-2 as if he's encased in a bubble - he still retains that innocent quality that I was worried would disappear when he entered grade school. Either he just lets teasing and taunts roll off his back or no one messes with him. In this age of bullies it's truly remarkable. I hope the bubble remains for a long time!
I know I can't keep my boys young forever but sometimes I just want to freeze time. Nicholas still requires lots of hugs and kisses and Michael is not yet embarrassed of the love I shower on hm. This will all change someday - after all, there's one constant in this world and that is change. So I will continue to enjoy all the moments I have with them and savor this summer break, knowing that while it might be the end of one phase of our lives, it's also the beginning of another.
This is the end of an era for me as next year both boys will be in school all day long. I have to admit I get a bit teary every time I think about it. It's not just the fact that for the first time in 8 years my life won't exclusively revolve around my kids and I can start to pursue something that is just my own (which is a little scary). It's that my youngest is growing up and the preschool years are over. It's a bittersweet feeling. I've been both waiting for and dreading this day.
The preschool years - what a busy time! While I'm happy to put potty training, naps, and hour-long tantrums behind me, there are many things I look back fondly upon: leisurely picnics in the front yard, playing baseball all afternoon, watching the Imagination Movers, taking "nature hikes" at 8:00 a.m., and going "garage-sale-ing" for treasures.
I admit it will be nice to be able to get the laundry completely done without having to leave it half folded because I ran out of time before Pre-K pickup at 11:30 a.m. However, I will no longer be able to use Nicholas as my excuse if the house is still a wreck at 3:30 p.m. I imagine that at first I'll be a little lonely without my little entertainer to keep me company. I do, however, have 8 years of writing backlogged in my imagination to attend to.
Regardless of my feelings, Nicholas no longer thinks that he can be home schooled and accepts that he is going to Kindergarten next year. In fact, I think he's a little excited. He talks about who will be in his class and is curious about how the bus ride to school will work. He's also entered the world of pre-reading: sounding words out on his own and matching words with pictures. My heart is full because it is evident that we made the right decision to put him into Pre-K this year - he's confident, self-assured, and so much more mature (well, as mature as you can be when you're 5!).
The fact that Michael will be entering 3rd grade seems impossible to me. I remember 3rd grade, that time when kids begin to really mature. I've been told that the work load increases dramatically. Next year Michael will be learning cursive writing, more complicated multiplication and division, and he will be taking the standardized MEAP tests. Michael will handle that fine as he's a very bright boy. It's the behaviors that come with the upper elementary grades that often concern me. Michael has managed to get through grades K-2 as if he's encased in a bubble - he still retains that innocent quality that I was worried would disappear when he entered grade school. Either he just lets teasing and taunts roll off his back or no one messes with him. In this age of bullies it's truly remarkable. I hope the bubble remains for a long time!
I know I can't keep my boys young forever but sometimes I just want to freeze time. Nicholas still requires lots of hugs and kisses and Michael is not yet embarrassed of the love I shower on hm. This will all change someday - after all, there's one constant in this world and that is change. So I will continue to enjoy all the moments I have with them and savor this summer break, knowing that while it might be the end of one phase of our lives, it's also the beginning of another.
Friday, April 29, 2011
I Never Knew My Mom Was a Trapeze Artist
When exactly does a woman become a mother? A) The minute her first child is born? B) When she takes him home from the hospital? C) When she experiences the sleep-deprived reality that comes from nursing every 2 hours?
If you would have asked me this question 8 years ago I would have gone with answer A. However, 8 years and two children later I realize that becoming a mother takes more than just birthing a child between your legs and calling yourself a mom.
Mothers are not born with our children, they are made. There is no instruction booklet on how to be a mom. We learn through experience, trial by fire, and sometimes with disastrous results. We learn that when you change your infant son's diaper you'd better cover him up quickly or you WILL get peed on. We learn that when your child is not feeling good and says that he thinks he has to throw up, you have a 5-second window to get him to the toilet before he does so.
Even so, I think it takes more than just experience to be successful at this mothering thing. It takes passion and energy and commitment. And balance.
My mom is someone whose experience and opinion I trust and value. She has shown me how to be a good mother through her mothering of me and my brother. She wasn't a helicopter mom or a soccer mom or a stay-at-home mom like June Cleaver. She was a do-it-all mom who worked part-time but was always home when we came home from school. She was a mom who earned her Master's Degree while working and taking care of us. She was a mom who had interests and hobbies outside of her kids. I know now how important that is: it's a key component to keeping your sanity as a mom. It showed me that while I was an important part of her life I was not the only part. My mom showed me that to be a mom you need to have balance.
This b
This mothering thing we do is a tightrope act that involves balancing our needs with our children's needs. To be really successful at it we need to be sure of our footing and who we are or we risk falling and losing ourselves in the daily barrage of tasks.
To all you moms out there who have found your balance, I salute you. To all you moms out there like me who haven't found it yet, I say keep searching. Start small. Pledge with me to do at least one thing for yourself every day that will bring you into balance at that moment: take a walk after dinner, read a magazine, take a bath, eat a whole cookie (not one that you have to share with the kids), breathe deeply for 5 minutes. Then, as you get braver, take more time for yourself: go for long walks in the woods, read a book, get a massage, go see a movie with friends or by yourself, go out to dinner with friends. You see where I'm going here.
I understand that trying to incorporate a little time for ourselves may at first prompt some strange reactions from our spouses and children ("Mom wants to do what and without us? Boo hoo!!") And we may feel that we're abandoning them. However, my belief is that the more we do for ourselves the easier it will be to work "Mom's Time" into our lives and pretty soon our balancing act will be a normal part of our routine.
Have a happy Mother's Day! Be good to yourselves!!!
If you like this blog or blog about mothering yourself, check out the About.com's Mother's Day Blog Carnival!
If you would have asked me this question 8 years ago I would have gone with answer A. However, 8 years and two children later I realize that becoming a mother takes more than just birthing a child between your legs and calling yourself a mom.
Mothers are not born with our children, they are made. There is no instruction booklet on how to be a mom. We learn through experience, trial by fire, and sometimes with disastrous results. We learn that when you change your infant son's diaper you'd better cover him up quickly or you WILL get peed on. We learn that when your child is not feeling good and says that he thinks he has to throw up, you have a 5-second window to get him to the toilet before he does so.
Even so, I think it takes more than just experience to be successful at this mothering thing. It takes passion and energy and commitment. And balance.
My mom is someone whose experience and opinion I trust and value. She has shown me how to be a good mother through her mothering of me and my brother. She wasn't a helicopter mom or a soccer mom or a stay-at-home mom like June Cleaver. She was a do-it-all mom who worked part-time but was always home when we came home from school. She was a mom who earned her Master's Degree while working and taking care of us. She was a mom who had interests and hobbies outside of her kids. I know now how important that is: it's a key component to keeping your sanity as a mom. It showed me that while I was an important part of her life I was not the only part. My mom showed me that to be a mom you need to have balance.
This b
This mothering thing we do is a tightrope act that involves balancing our needs with our children's needs. To be really successful at it we need to be sure of our footing and who we are or we risk falling and losing ourselves in the daily barrage of tasks.
To all you moms out there who have found your balance, I salute you. To all you moms out there like me who haven't found it yet, I say keep searching. Start small. Pledge with me to do at least one thing for yourself every day that will bring you into balance at that moment: take a walk after dinner, read a magazine, take a bath, eat a whole cookie (not one that you have to share with the kids), breathe deeply for 5 minutes. Then, as you get braver, take more time for yourself: go for long walks in the woods, read a book, get a massage, go see a movie with friends or by yourself, go out to dinner with friends. You see where I'm going here.
I understand that trying to incorporate a little time for ourselves may at first prompt some strange reactions from our spouses and children ("Mom wants to do what and without us? Boo hoo!!") And we may feel that we're abandoning them. However, my belief is that the more we do for ourselves the easier it will be to work "Mom's Time" into our lives and pretty soon our balancing act will be a normal part of our routine.
Have a happy Mother's Day! Be good to yourselves!!!
If you like this blog or blog about mothering yourself, check out the About.com's Mother's Day Blog Carnival!
Friday, December 10, 2010
We're Going to Disney World Part 3: The magic of the Magic Kingdom
6:30 a.m. Nicholas plays alarm clock and wakes us all up. I was hoping the kids would get a little more sleep but they're at Disney World and I would expect them to be excited. Heck, I'm excited! I had a wonderful night's sleep last night, probably the best in a week, and I feel awake and ready to hit the Magic Kingdom today!
9:20 a.m. We've breakfasted in our room and are just getting off the bus to the Magic Kingdom. It's another bright, sunny day and I'm already warm in my jacket. I would have liked to get going a little earlier this morning but we do have a long day ahead of us: we have reservations to eat lunch at Cinderella's Royal Table at 2:00 p.m. and then will close the park down with the Spectromagic Parade at 7:00 p.m. and the Wishes Nighttime Spectacular fireworks at 8:00 p.m. And in between we will ride, ride, ride!!
We take our time soaking in the magical sights and sounds around us. The park is decorated for Christmas and Michael is excited when he spots a "hidden Mickey" on one of the lamp posts on Main Street. There are plenty of Photo Pass photographers so of course we have to have our picture taken in front of the castle.
Victoria is a typical princess-obsessed 6-year-old and we have all been anxiously waiting to see her reaction to this giant castle. We are not disappointed. In fact, we are all oohing and ahhing right along with her. It has been 25 years or so since I've been to the Magic Kingdom and I'd forgotten the amount of detail that you see as you walk through the castle to Fantasyland, from mosaics of scenes from Sleeping Beauty to hidden cartoon mice from Cinderella.
Our first stop is the Dumbo ride. Almost every book I read said to go to Dumbo first as it tends to get crowded later in the day. Right now the wait isn't too long, only 15 minutes. When we get up to the front of the line we see some people with large cameras. Turns out, because we are such a large party, they want to film us having fun on the ride, for use internally. Perhaps we'll be on a Disney Vacation DVD or some other promotion. (Keep your eyes open for us and let us know if you see us!!!) And we do have fun too - up and down, around and around. The kids have fun doing the operating for once.
10:15 a.m.: Our next stop is The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Mom and Dad take the kids in their honeypot and Jeff and I and Jon and Janet all follow along in ours. It's a very cute and colorful ride, especially if you're a Winnie the Pooh fan.
10:30 a.m.: There's no line at the Mad Tea Party ride, one of my favorites, so we go on this next. Michael, Jeff and my dad ride in one teacup (the slow teacup because Michael doesn't want to spin fast), while Victoria, Nicholas, Jon, and I ride in the "fast" teacup because we want to spin around as fast as we can. And we do! The kids help Jon and I turn the center wheel and pretty soon we're going so fast the outside world is a complete blur. When the ride is done, both kids exclaim that "that was awesome!!" Michael, on the other hand, doesn't feel so good. Even though he was on the slow teacup it was still too much spinning for him.
We next enter Mickey's Toontown Fair. Victoria is especially excited to be here because she will get to meet the fairies at the Toontown Hall of Fame. Our group disbands in small groups as Michael needs a potty break, Nicholas wants to buy some mouse ears, and Victoria needs a snack.
11:00 a.m.: When Nicholas is sufficiently "mouse-eared", we go through Mickey and Minnie's Country House, which are both decorated for Christmas. Then we go through Mickey's garden to the Judge's Tent so we can meet Mickey and Minnie and get their autographs. This is the boys' first real character greeting and they are excited. Nicholas even gets a kiss from Minnie!
When we find our group, we learn that Victoria is in line to see the fairies, which has a fairly long wait of 45 minutes. Nicholas, to my surprise, wants to wait in a shorter line to meet the princesses, so I take him to the Toontown Hall of Fame. Michael isn't interested in either the princesses or the fairies but does want to linger in the gift shop just outside of the Judge's Tent (one thing about Disney: they're not stupid. There's a gift shop after almost every ride, just waiting to snag the souvenir money out of all the young kids!) so Jeff takes him there.
Nicholas and I are only in line for about 5 minutes when we see Victoria in the fairy line. Nicholas decides that he wants to see the fairies with Victoria instead of the princesses, so we head over to their line. And wait. And wait. And wait. Finally we are next. Inside are three fairies: Tinkerbell and two others that I do not recognize (hey, I've got boys, why should I?). Nicholas is pretty shy with Tinkerbell and the next fairy, but by the time we get to the third fairy he is his charming, silly self. Victoria, meanwhile, is having all the fairies sign her fairy purse. I can tell she is just awed by this experience.
12:30 p.m.: We regroup again and discover that in our absence, Michael got his mouse ears and went on Goofy's Barnstormer roller coaster two times! The line is short so we all decide to go on this ride. It is indeed a great introductory to roller coasters for young children. All three love it. I'm sure that there will be no problems with them going on Space Mountain later in the day.
We just have enough time to make a round trip on the Walt DisneyWorld Railroad before we have to get ready for our lunch at the castle. It is a good resting opportunity and it cools us off too as it is getting quite warm. I take the time to look at some notes I had printed out about the best place to see the evening parade and fireworks. This is my Achilles heel for it's the only thing I haven't researched to the nines. One tip says to watch the fireworks from the very front of the park so that when they're over you can just leave through the gates and beat the throng of people out of the park. However, I'm not sure what the view will be from that area. Another tip says that you can see the fireworks AND parade well if you're by the circle hub of pathways that are just in front of the castle. At the end of the train ride I'm still not sure what the best course of action will be for us.
2:00 p.m.: Victoria has changed into her princess dress and we've checked in for our reservation. Now we're waiting in line to meet Cinderella. This is the moment Janet, Mom, and I have been waiting for ever since we called 180 days ago to make our reservations. We knew that Victoria would be over the top about going inside the castle and meeting Cinderella, but I wasn't so sure about the boys. I now have hope for Nicholas though, since he was so interested in the fairies in Toontown.
Victoria is hard to read sometimes but I can tell that she really enjoys meeting Cinderella. She even smiles when she has her picture taken with her. The boys enjoy seeing the knight's armor that is in the entryway of the castle.
2:45 p.m. We are now waiting to be called into the restaurant. Our group is running out of steam since we are hungry and tired. Finally we hear our name called and make our way up the winding staircase to the top of the castle. When we are seated the boys are given prince swords and Victoria is given a magic wand, which are all instant hits. Soon come the drinks and appetizers and while we wait for our meals, the princesses begin to arrive.
First comes Princess Aurora, or Sleeping Beauty. When she makes her way to our table, she talks with each child while she signs autographs and then poses for pictures. Our food arrives shortly after. The other princesses, Jasmine (Aladdin), Ariel (Little Mermaid), and Belle (Beauty and the Beast) visit throughout the meal. We are pleased with the time each princess takes at our table. They are not hurried, nor do they seem surprised by the antics of Nicholas, who smiles with his mouth full of food for one of the pictures. In fact, Belle is a little sassy with him and puts him in his place! He of course loves every minute of it.
After we finish lunch and are working on desserts, there is an announcement that there will be a wishing ceremony in a few minutes. Our waiter comes by and passes out a blue, plastic wishing star for all three kids. A loud voice booms out over the speakers instructing the children to make their wishes. Nicholas screws his eyes shut as hard as he can and with all the concentration he can muster shouts out, "I wish for a tiger!!!" What?! All of us adults look at each other in confusion. Where did this come from? You never know with this child.
4:15 p.m. After being the last family left in the restaurant we emerge with bellies full and momentum restored. We have a little over two hours before we have to find a spot for the parade. The kids and Jon and Jeff want to go on Space Mountain but we all decide that we need to do something a little less momentous first so our food can settle. There is no wait for Mickey's Philharmagic show in Fantasyland, a 12-minute 3-D cartoon shown on a 150-foot screen, so we grab our 3-D glasses and enter the theater. The show does not disappoint. I was initially hesitant because I'd read where there are some parts that could be scary and Michael gets spooked easily, but he shut his eyes and held my hand during these parts and thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the show, as we all did.
Next we head over to Tomorrowland in search of Space Mountain. On the way the kids spot Peter Pan and so we stop so they can get get his autograph. Did you know that Peter Pan really IS light in his loafers?
Janet decides to join us on Space Mountain so we leave the strollers and backpacks outside the ride and enter the attraction. The height limit for this ride is 44 inches. At last measure at home Nicholas was just barely that. I hope that he can ride with us or I am going to have a very disappointed 5-year-old on my hands. Our luck holds - he passes and can ride!!
Speaking of luck, we have been lucky today as there really have been no long waits for any of the rides. In fact, the longest waits have been for the character meet and greets. Space Mountain is no different. We walk all the way through the ride and wait only five minutes or so before we are loaded into our rockets.
The last time I rode this ride I was about 15 so I don't really remember much about it, other than the very long wait (those were the days before Fastpass!). So the darkness of the ride catches me by surprise. I hope that the kids aren't scared. As we speed through one dark tunnel after another I scream and screech like a teenager. The ride is filled with a lot of twists and turns and I wonder how Janet and Michael, the two in our group with the prevalence towards motion sickness, are doing.
Even before we disembark from our rockets I hear Nicholas and Victoria shouting their catch phrase of the trip: "That was awesome!!!". Michael looks a little pale but he is smiling. Janet, on the other hand, looks a little green and is not doing so well. She decides to sit out the next ride, the Astro Orbiter. Mom also decides to sit this one out and go see the Carousel of Progress by herself.
It is now dusk. We have to take an elevator to the boarding area of the Astro Orbiter, and when we get off the elevator we can see that the castle is illuminated. It is a wonderful view. Michael and Victoria want to ride with Grandpa so Nicholas rides with Jeff and I ride with my brother. Our ride is somewhat reminiscent of the last time we rode 15 years ago except for the fact that we are now a whole lot bigger, and back then we rode it with our grandfather, who is no longer with us. I can feel him in spirit though as we fly through the sky.
6:00 p.m.: We have time for just one more ride, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, a ride in which you get to shoot at targets and score points. The evil Zurg even shows up, which delighted my boys. We have the Toy Story Mania Wii game at home and this ride has similar qualities to the game; however, I'm really excited to go to Hollywood Studios tomorrow and ride Toy Storia Mania, which is supposed to be more like the Wii game.
Upon exiting from the ride we see that Buzz Lightyear himself is signing autographs. The kids wait in line while I run back to Janet (who is still recovering from Space Mountain) and get the kids' autograph books. Because of his space suit Buzz is unable to actually sign the books; instead he stamps the books, which the kids think is the coolest thing.
6:30 p.m. OK, now it's the moment of truth. We have to decide where we want to view the parade and fireworks. All eyes are on me and I, for once, don't have a ready answer. The kids want ice cream and we're all tired. I review our options as we walk toward the castle from Tomorrowland. When we see the castle we stop in our tracks. It is covered with white, sparkly christmas lights from top to bottom (even all the spires) and is morphing from dark blue to purple. It is breathtaking. Of course Mom, Janet, and I all stop to take pictures. Then we spot a PhotoPass photographer taking pictures of families with the castle in the background and have to have some taken of our group too.
As we approach Main Street I realize that we should have had Janet and Mom staking out our spot along the street while we finished up in Tomorrowland. The crowd along the parade route is 4 people deep and there are no spots available. I silently curse myself for not figuring this out earlier. The natives are getting restless so Mom, Janet, and I send the men with the kids in search of ice cream and then go search for a spot.
We find one just to the left of the castle along Main Street. We would get a spectacular view of the fireworks here and would most likely be able to see the parade here too, but would not have our fast exit out of the park. I'm undecided. I need to see what the view from City Hall at the entrance of the park is, so Mom and I leave Janet to guard the spot and head towards City Hall at breakneck speed.
It is less crowded at City Hall and there are some spots left on the street but the view of the castle is marred by the Christmas decorations hung on wires across the street. It boils down to great view or fast exit. In the end, fast exit with tired children wins so we gather our brood and secure our spot in front of City Hall. We have a few minutes before the parade starts and Victoria decides she wants a balloon, so Jon goes in search of a balloon for her. He returns with three light-up Mickey Mouse helium balloons, one for each kid. They are over the moon for these balloons (as they should be at $15 a pop, no pun intended).
7:00 p.m.: The streetlights dim, we take our spot, and the Spectromagic parade begins. Leading the parade is Tinkerbell riding in a brightly lit float. Next comes a choo-choo train covered in lights. We look closely and see that Goofy is driving the train and Mickey and Minnie are on it too! Following are more Disney characters in lights: Alice in Wonderland on her magic mushroom, Cinderella in her pumpkin carriage, and Peter Pan, to name a few. I look up at Nicholas who is sitting on Jeff's shoulders. He is grinning from ear to ear, as are Victoria and Michael. Aahh, the magic of Disney!!!
7:45 p.m.: In between the parade and the fireworks Mom and I take turns trying to find the best spot to view them. Our spot isn't so bad but there's a flagpole smack dab in the middle of our view. In the upper level of City Hall the decorations don't mar the view quite so much but there really isn't an open spot. And so we stick with the same spot we were in for the parade.
8:00 p.m.: "Ladies and gentlemen, Disney World is proud to present the Wishes fireworks!" The castle morphs from pink to white to yellow, then blue, purple, and violet. A collective murmur is heard from the crowd as the castle begins to twinkle and then the fireworks begin. Jiminy Cricket is our guide as classic Disney music, including "When you wish upon a star," accompanies the colorful (and loud) pyrotechnics. Wishes is billed as " the biggest, brightest fireworks extravaganza in Magic Kingdom theme park history," but I think it is the biggest and best fireworks show I've ever seen.
Tears come to my eyes at the finale when my mom says, "I feel like I'm eight years old again watching the Mickey Mouse Club," in reference to the classic showing of fireworks at the beginning of the show. What wonderful magic this trip is for everyone young and old(er)!
As the last of the applause fades into the night, we pack the kids into the strollers, grab our backpacks and balloons, and make a beeline out of the park to our bus.
8:30 p.m. We are on the bus headed back to the hotel. Even though this is a wonderful thing I feel regretful that we didn't choose to see the fireworks from our first spot, which would have given us a better view. Oh well, there's always next time!
9:20 a.m. We've breakfasted in our room and are just getting off the bus to the Magic Kingdom. It's another bright, sunny day and I'm already warm in my jacket. I would have liked to get going a little earlier this morning but we do have a long day ahead of us: we have reservations to eat lunch at Cinderella's Royal Table at 2:00 p.m. and then will close the park down with the Spectromagic Parade at 7:00 p.m. and the Wishes Nighttime Spectacular fireworks at 8:00 p.m. And in between we will ride, ride, ride!!
Victoria is a typical princess-obsessed 6-year-old and we have all been anxiously waiting to see her reaction to this giant castle. We are not disappointed. In fact, we are all oohing and ahhing right along with her. It has been 25 years or so since I've been to the Magic Kingdom and I'd forgotten the amount of detail that you see as you walk through the castle to Fantasyland, from mosaics of scenes from Sleeping Beauty to hidden cartoon mice from Cinderella.
10:15 a.m.: Our next stop is The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Mom and Dad take the kids in their honeypot and Jeff and I and Jon and Janet all follow along in ours. It's a very cute and colorful ride, especially if you're a Winnie the Pooh fan.
We next enter Mickey's Toontown Fair. Victoria is especially excited to be here because she will get to meet the fairies at the Toontown Hall of Fame. Our group disbands in small groups as Michael needs a potty break, Nicholas wants to buy some mouse ears, and Victoria needs a snack.
When we find our group, we learn that Victoria is in line to see the fairies, which has a fairly long wait of 45 minutes. Nicholas, to my surprise, wants to wait in a shorter line to meet the princesses, so I take him to the Toontown Hall of Fame. Michael isn't interested in either the princesses or the fairies but does want to linger in the gift shop just outside of the Judge's Tent (one thing about Disney: they're not stupid. There's a gift shop after almost every ride, just waiting to snag the souvenir money out of all the young kids!) so Jeff takes him there.
Nicholas and I are only in line for about 5 minutes when we see Victoria in the fairy line. Nicholas decides that he wants to see the fairies with Victoria instead of the princesses, so we head over to their line. And wait. And wait. And wait. Finally we are next. Inside are three fairies: Tinkerbell and two others that I do not recognize (hey, I've got boys, why should I?). Nicholas is pretty shy with Tinkerbell and the next fairy, but by the time we get to the third fairy he is his charming, silly self. Victoria, meanwhile, is having all the fairies sign her fairy purse. I can tell she is just awed by this experience.
2:00 p.m.: Victoria has changed into her princess dress and we've checked in for our reservation. Now we're waiting in line to meet Cinderella. This is the moment Janet, Mom, and I have been waiting for ever since we called 180 days ago to make our reservations. We knew that Victoria would be over the top about going inside the castle and meeting Cinderella, but I wasn't so sure about the boys. I now have hope for Nicholas though, since he was so interested in the fairies in Toontown.Victoria is hard to read sometimes but I can tell that she really enjoys meeting Cinderella. She even smiles when she has her picture taken with her. The boys enjoy seeing the knight's armor that is in the entryway of the castle.
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| Are we having fun yet? |
2:45 p.m. We are now waiting to be called into the restaurant. Our group is running out of steam since we are hungry and tired. Finally we hear our name called and make our way up the winding staircase to the top of the castle. When we are seated the boys are given prince swords and Victoria is given a magic wand, which are all instant hits. Soon come the drinks and appetizers and while we wait for our meals, the princesses begin to arrive.
After we finish lunch and are working on desserts, there is an announcement that there will be a wishing ceremony in a few minutes. Our waiter comes by and passes out a blue, plastic wishing star for all three kids. A loud voice booms out over the speakers instructing the children to make their wishes. Nicholas screws his eyes shut as hard as he can and with all the concentration he can muster shouts out, "I wish for a tiger!!!" What?! All of us adults look at each other in confusion. Where did this come from? You never know with this child.
Janet decides to join us on Space Mountain so we leave the strollers and backpacks outside the ride and enter the attraction. The height limit for this ride is 44 inches. At last measure at home Nicholas was just barely that. I hope that he can ride with us or I am going to have a very disappointed 5-year-old on my hands. Our luck holds - he passes and can ride!!
Speaking of luck, we have been lucky today as there really have been no long waits for any of the rides. In fact, the longest waits have been for the character meet and greets. Space Mountain is no different. We walk all the way through the ride and wait only five minutes or so before we are loaded into our rockets.
The last time I rode this ride I was about 15 so I don't really remember much about it, other than the very long wait (those were the days before Fastpass!). So the darkness of the ride catches me by surprise. I hope that the kids aren't scared. As we speed through one dark tunnel after another I scream and screech like a teenager. The ride is filled with a lot of twists and turns and I wonder how Janet and Michael, the two in our group with the prevalence towards motion sickness, are doing.
Even before we disembark from our rockets I hear Nicholas and Victoria shouting their catch phrase of the trip: "That was awesome!!!". Michael looks a little pale but he is smiling. Janet, on the other hand, looks a little green and is not doing so well. She decides to sit out the next ride, the Astro Orbiter. Mom also decides to sit this one out and go see the Carousel of Progress by herself.
6:00 p.m.: We have time for just one more ride, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, a ride in which you get to shoot at targets and score points. The evil Zurg even shows up, which delighted my boys. We have the Toy Story Mania Wii game at home and this ride has similar qualities to the game; however, I'm really excited to go to Hollywood Studios tomorrow and ride Toy Storia Mania, which is supposed to be more like the Wii game.
6:30 p.m. OK, now it's the moment of truth. We have to decide where we want to view the parade and fireworks. All eyes are on me and I, for once, don't have a ready answer. The kids want ice cream and we're all tired. I review our options as we walk toward the castle from Tomorrowland. When we see the castle we stop in our tracks. It is covered with white, sparkly christmas lights from top to bottom (even all the spires) and is morphing from dark blue to purple. It is breathtaking. Of course Mom, Janet, and I all stop to take pictures. Then we spot a PhotoPass photographer taking pictures of families with the castle in the background and have to have some taken of our group too.
We find one just to the left of the castle along Main Street. We would get a spectacular view of the fireworks here and would most likely be able to see the parade here too, but would not have our fast exit out of the park. I'm undecided. I need to see what the view from City Hall at the entrance of the park is, so Mom and I leave Janet to guard the spot and head towards City Hall at breakneck speed.
7:00 p.m.: The streetlights dim, we take our spot, and the Spectromagic parade begins. Leading the parade is Tinkerbell riding in a brightly lit float. Next comes a choo-choo train covered in lights. We look closely and see that Goofy is driving the train and Mickey and Minnie are on it too! Following are more Disney characters in lights: Alice in Wonderland on her magic mushroom, Cinderella in her pumpkin carriage, and Peter Pan, to name a few. I look up at Nicholas who is sitting on Jeff's shoulders. He is grinning from ear to ear, as are Victoria and Michael. Aahh, the magic of Disney!!!7:45 p.m.: In between the parade and the fireworks Mom and I take turns trying to find the best spot to view them. Our spot isn't so bad but there's a flagpole smack dab in the middle of our view. In the upper level of City Hall the decorations don't mar the view quite so much but there really isn't an open spot. And so we stick with the same spot we were in for the parade.
8:00 p.m.: "Ladies and gentlemen, Disney World is proud to present the Wishes fireworks!" The castle morphs from pink to white to yellow, then blue, purple, and violet. A collective murmur is heard from the crowd as the castle begins to twinkle and then the fireworks begin. Jiminy Cricket is our guide as classic Disney music, including "When you wish upon a star," accompanies the colorful (and loud) pyrotechnics. Wishes is billed as " the biggest, brightest fireworks extravaganza in Magic Kingdom theme park history," but I think it is the biggest and best fireworks show I've ever seen.
As the last of the applause fades into the night, we pack the kids into the strollers, grab our backpacks and balloons, and make a beeline out of the park to our bus.
8:30 p.m. We are on the bus headed back to the hotel. Even though this is a wonderful thing I feel regretful that we didn't choose to see the fireworks from our first spot, which would have given us a better view. Oh well, there's always next time!
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