me to a T - Tracey Odachowski

Oh, it went soooo well! And for the record, I DIDN’T CRY!!! I made my little guy a promise last night while I was laying with him in bed for a few minutes. He said to me, “Mommy, please don’t cry tomorrow, because I don’t like it when you are sad.” Ok, besides trying to hold back tears at that moment, I told him I promised. And I held that promise!!!

So, I took 44 pictures this morning - including him brushing his teeth, taking his inhaler, walking down the stairs, eating the breakfast of champions (french toast sticks and chocolate milk), as well as a few at school.

BUT HERE IS THE BEST PART… oh gosh, I’m so excited to tell you all this… Ok. Let’s start with Gabe does NOT like to write/color, etc. Loves to paint and play w/ play-doh, but he’s just never been a coloring kid. Therefore, when he DOES draw stuff, it is usually scribbles. He could write his name, but only if I write it first and he copies it. These are the two things that worried me the absolute most about sending him to school and him being the youngest in the class. So, after school, I had to meet his teacher (I’m the room mother ). While sitting in there waiting for her, I saw his notebook. I couldn’t help but open it and see what he did for the day.

1st page - a bunch of scribbly lines
2nd page - a circle
3rd page - A FANTASTIC drawing of himself and his name!!!

I mean, this thing was classic Kindergarten drawing - a circle head, oval body (colored green like his shirt), stick arms and legs, circle hands and feet all colored in…It was WONDERFUL!!! And below it was his name! The best part? Mrs Bennett told me he did it ALL BY HIMSELF!!! I’m so proud. I wish I had my camera w/ me, but alas, it was charging in the kitchen. I just can’t remember it all of the time. But take my word - it was good!!!

To top it all off, while sitting in my office tonight, this is what I heard as Chris and Gabe walked upstairs for bed:

Chris: “So did you have a good day today?”

Gabe: “Yeah. But tell Mommy on the next morningtime that I don’t want the camera.”

hmmm…maybe I took a few too many pictures? naaaahhhhhh….
So, on that wonderful note, I leave you w/ a few pictures…

And one of his ultracool Buzz backpack and his teacher, Mrs. Bennett:

Final preparations…

Yup. My baby starts Kindergarten tomorrow. Don’t know if it has quite hit me yet. Ask me again tomorrow morning at 9am.

So, we decided to have a little fun tonight. And, you know me, I had to take pictures to document his last day before school starts, because YOU KNOW it is going to be on a scrapbook page someday. So, we wrestled on “Mommy/Daddy’s bed” and had a tickling contest:

I love having fun with this little guy. Meanwhile, Emily has decided that the dog’s life is better than hers:

Isn’t she just pwecious???? hehe

Not much else going on today. Been watching TWC all day, glad that we don’t live in Destin anymore. Hope everyone down there is ok.

Ok. Those who have kids have to know these meals…

If you don’t have kids, surely you’ve seen them in the grocery market. They come in 11 varieties (though, good luck finding them all). I’ve gotta admit, they are pretty good. It’s the only way Chris and I can convince Gabe to eat vegetables, albeit corn. Hey, I’ll take what I can get. He loves the pizza, fish sticks, corn dog, chicken…but his favorite, by far, is taquitos. I think he just likes saying it. Tonight, however, it was fish sticks.

Anyway, back to the point. Look at the initials - K.C. A disguise, I say. Really, they are called Kiddie Crack. They just figured that wasn’t a very marketable name, so they disguised it as Kid Cuisine. But Kiddie Crack is more appropriate. Because these meals are THE way to get Gabe to do ANYTHING!!! THE way for him to eat vegetables…VEGETABLES!!!

Case in point. In the grocery store. By the time you get to the frozen food aisle, both kids are going nuts. Can’t get them to behave worth anything. But, ah…pull out the Kiddie Crack card…
“Well, Gabe, since you can’t listen and stay next to the cart, I guess we can’t get any Kid Cuisine.”
“NO!!! I’ll be a good boy!!!” {pulls out angel wings and halo, does whatever is asked for the next few hours.}

Or, those times when he hasn’t wanted to eat all day, and that parental ‘he must eat’ instinct kicks in. Pull out the Kiddie Crack card…
“Gabe, what do you want for dinner?”
“Nothing. I’m not hungry.”
“Do you want Kid Cuisine?”
“Yeah!!!!!” {child RUNS for the kitchen, ignoring all toys and cartoons, and sits at the table. Sometimes he even starts setting it w/o being asked!}

Kiddie Crack, I tell you.

On another note, I just got excited about ‘only’ paying $2.45 for gas. How sad is that. And, thanks Katrina - it will probably be right back up to $2.65 again by the end of the week. Sure am glad I don’t live in California anymore.

I (kind of) figured this thing out! a little. Things I’ve learned this morning:

1. I’m not a computer geek. But I can pretend to be after a few internet searches.
2. How to do a Photoshop Brush! (wow - it really is easy!)
3. How to make my blog look like something other than an ugly blog.

I think I’m ready to roll now!!! Let’s see what else I can do…

Here’s our new dog Zuzu:

Look at this face. Does this just SCREAM trouble???

Gabe and his new ‘toy’.

Ok. Gotta stop playing. Daddy has been entertaining all ‘3′ kids for about an hour now while I hide in the office. Gosh, I love the weekend.

Ohmygosh. I have no idea what I’m doing. I definitely need to read more about this thing. Change the picture. Add some stuff. Take away some stuff. But this is my effort to be a little more fun in my life. To write it all down. And, if you know me, to put it in a scrapbook. Wish me luck!!!