Change

This week the girls started going to school every day. First, I will start by saying that I have had a hard time with this. I thought that I would enjoy having the noise level down for a few hours but I don’t. I miss them. I tear up often throughout the day when I think about them. I am sure that this will possibly change as I get use to the change. I feel like I only get to see they for about 4 hours a day and in those few hours I am doing homework, making dinner, getting ready for school for the following day, etc. It is no longer a care free world to do whatever we want too and we do not get to spend, what I feel to be, quality time anymore. When they are home I try very hard to make those few hours as pleasant and enjoyable as possible. Sometimes with them being so terribly tired, this can be challenging.

Maddie has had a hard time too. She is usually very independent and in-charge type of person. She has no problem telling you what is on her mind. Maddie is also very willing to help me around the house doing anything. She is also very caring towards her siblings. She told me yesterday on the way home from school, “A long time ago (aka about three months ago) a boy called Kennedy a liar. Kennedy was so sad and cried. So, I told him to stop calling Kennedy a liar and to call me one. Mom, I always take care of Kennedy.” My point is she isn’t the quiet and sit still kind of person. I have noticed this week she has become quiet. When I ask about school she doesn’t say much. Luckily, her teacher has sent home a sheet explaining what they are working on this week so I can pull questions from that but even then I do not get much back in return. When I walk her to class she just stands next to me and I have to tell her to get her snack out, her folder, etc. Then she will sit down at her table and start to color. On Monday she was concerned about getting the “right” red to color her Clifford picture. (She is not use to a 24 pack of crayons with several different shades of red. I usually just get the 8 pack.) She didn’t talk to anyone which is so unlike her. So, the last few days I have tried to talk to the girls at her table with her. Yesterday, while I was helping Maddie, her teacher came up to me and asked me how she was adjusting. I didn’t want to say too much in front of Maddie so I said she is doing okay. I emailed the teacher after I got home to express my concerns about her being so quiet and that I was aware that it could just be nerves but I just was wondering how she was doing during the day. When I went to pick her up she was happy and was very talkative that afternoon. (Wed.) I was thinking great, I jumped the gun on this one I shouldn’t have written that email. This morning I talked to the teacher and she asked about yesterday. I told her that she was very happy and she said that yesterday was the first day Maddie started talking to others and seemed happy. I was glad to hear that. I am hoping that she is just dealing with the change and will be back to her happy out going self in a while.

Kennedy was the one I actually worried about. She really depends on Maddie to do or go anywhere. She is very friendly and sensitive. She has the corkiest facial expressions and provides much comic relief to our family. Kennedy has not had a problem at all. She walks in every morning does her routine and sits down to color her picture and is chatting away with her friends. Smiling all the while! She came home on Tuesday and told me that she “kind of got in trouble.” I asked her what happened and she said that her teacher told her to sit down and that it made her sad. Before I write my next sentence, I am not a crazy mom! I have reasoning behind why I emailed Kennedy’s teacher! I emailed Kennedy’s teacher yesterday as well. I wanted to know how she was doing because Kennedy has a very hard time focusing and sitting still. I have tried to work with her on her name, alphabet, shapes, etc. but she can not focus for more than 10 minutes. I was worried about this and have mentioned to Matthew I swear she has ADD. Her teacher emailed me back the following:

“The first day I saw what you described you see at home. Yesterday I had her pull her clip for talking and not staying in her seat. After that she has stayed in her seat most of the time and is getting her work done. She is a sweet little girl that really wants to please. I’ll keep an eye on her. Once they understand the expectations at school, they usually get in the swing of things…”

I was glad to hear that she was doing okay. I can tell in both of them little changes, for the better, since school has started. Such as, on the way home yesterday they got in the car and both started talking to me at the same time. Maddie covered her mouth and looked at Kennedy and told her she was sorry, to go ahead and talk. I was surprised. Most of the time they are fighting as to who gets to talk to mom first! I was very impressed with Madison.

Jake has been dealing with the girls being gone just fine. I actually think that he enjoys getting some time to do what he wants to do. He asks for Kennedy throughout the day. He will tell me he wants Kennedy. It is funny because he calls them both Kennedy. At times Matthew and I wonder what is going on in his little head. Does he think that there are two Kennedy’s running around the house?

When I came home from the hospital with Eli, I came home to a little boy who loved his brother and was very excited to see him but he became VERY jealous of all his siblings. He started screaming and wasn’t my polite little boy anymore. Since the girls have been in school and he has been getting more one on one time he has stopped screaming and is back to being very polite. He is my sweet little boy again! Thank heavens!

Eli sleeps a lot better throughout the day now that it isn’t as noisy. When the girls get home he gets very upset for some reason. He cries and won’t let me put him down. I think that he can feel my stress. As any mom with kids in school can attest, from about 3:30 till bed time things are crazy. Trying to get kids to after school activities, making dinner, getting homework done, baths, etc. all with a smile. It is tiring! I think Eli feels this. I am trying to find a new routine that will work good for us. Hopefully, we will find one soon!

These new changes have really made me very grateful for my family and our life. I feel so blessed and grateful for the girls’ teachers. I think that they were placed with each teacher that has different methods of teaching for a reason. I think they are exactly what each of them needs. I am blessed with wonderful child. I am grateful for Matthew’s job, even though it is in Memphis. It allows us to pay our bills and for that I am SO VERY Grateful! I could go on and on for all the things that we are so blessed and grateful for but I won’t bore anyone with that. We have a wonderful family and a life! We are very blessed!