Montessori

Our nanny put in her two weeks notice a week ago, and I had a minor meltdown! I'm not one for change, and I certainly didn't like the thought of Brady getting used to someone new. We are very close to our nanny and it is like losing a part of our family! She does a lot for our family and we will miss her terribly.

I had every intention of getting another nanny, but, we were unable to find someone that we liked for the amount of money we are able to pay. We visited a daycare and it made me sick to my stomach. The kids all ran wild and didn’t seem to be tended to much at all. Not to mention, the teacher/child ratio in Brady’s class was 11 to 1!! We finally found two nannies that we liked, but one didn't show up for her interview and the other one declined our offer this morning.

I looked through some more nanny applications today, but I didn’t feel comfortable with any of the applicants. I decided to call a Montessori, per the suggestion of a co-worker. We visited it tonight, and I really like it. The kids have Spanish, Art, and Music, in addition to the basic studies. The teacher in Brady’s class has a Master’s Degree and had been teaching for 30 plus years! We looked through the two way mirror and watched all the kids follow her around in a circle and pretend to be birds. They were too cute and looked like they were having fun. The Director was really nice and informative as well. We are pretty sure that we will be enrolling him there, unless Mary Poppins falls out of they sky! My only issue is they serve hot dogs a lot (we looked at a copy of the menu). I’ve heard stories about kids choking on hot dogs, and even know of one hot dog related fatality, so I’m REALLY paranoid about hot dogs. The director assured me that all the teachers are first aid certified and that it would be fine. I still think I’ll put hot dogs on his allergy list, paranoid freak that I am. ;-) Also, popcorn was on the menu for snack today. I asked the director if the toddlers eat popcorn as well, because Brady has never had it! Brian always said that it is a big choking hazard, but decided it was ok for him to eat popcorn now that he is almost two. We tested it out when we got home. Boy, does he love popcorn! He finally got to taste what smelled so good and he gobbled it up. I am happy to say, they do not serve peanuts there. :)

I hope that it works out well at the Montessori and that Brady has a blast going to school and playing with his friends. I know the first week will be rough, and my mom and I will probably each take a half day, so he can just go part time the first few days to adjust. I’m sure I will have a harder time with it than him. I’m definitely more of a cry baby. :(

Ally and Zach will just stay at their school at the after school program. They know the teacher, and they both like her. Also, they will be able to do their homework there and be ready to go play with their friends when they get home. They would rather have a nanny, but I think they will end up enjoying the after school program.

I’m still really nervous and emotional about the whole thing, but I’m excited that Brady will get to learn and make new friends. He is already Baby Einstein, so I can just imagine how much he will soar with a little instruction. Watch out world! :)

Thank you for everything Lee Lee! We love you and we will miss you! :)

Road Trip!

I am typing this on my handy dandy laptop on the way to Mt. Vernon, IL. We are going to visit Brian’s mom. So far, the trip has been very stressful…and we are only about 2 hours into it!! Brady is not used to sitting in his car seat for this long. He is ok when I am driving, but when Brian is driving, somehow he knows that I could potentially crawl back there with him and that is his plan. He has fussed a lot. Ally is half crazy at this point! Finally, all three of the kids are asleep in the backseat. Well, partially in the backseat. Ally’s feet are resting on the console against my arm. LOL

We brought this laptop for the kids to watch movies, so when Brady started to fuss, we pulled out The Wiggles DVD, only to find out that the case was empty. UGH!! We tried to watch Country Bears, but only The Wiggles will do for Brady.

We are driving to Little Rock, AR tonight and staying in a hotel. Only about 3.5 hours to go!! I am hoping to find a Wal-Mart in the morning to buy a Wiggles DVD. Otherwise, I’m not sure we’ll all still be alive after 6 hours in the car tomorrow.

Anyhow, I am excited about our trip. Brian’s sister and brother and their families will be there too. I have only met them in person once, and that was three years ago. Additionally, I am excited just to be going on a vacation!! This is our first vacation since I was pregnant with Brady. I think we are going to have a blast once we are out of this SUV! If only we had a tour bus…….

Ok, the laptop died after that. It was very short lived. So, now I am back in Dallas and going to finish this so I can post it! The rest of the trip went very well. When we got to the hotel on the first night, Brady was thrilled! He saw the big long hallway with brightly colored carpet and took off running and giggling! It was too cute! Brady did much better in the car on the second day.

We had a wonderful time visiting with Brian’s family. His parents have the biggest and most beautiful house I’ve ever been in. It is 6,000 square feet!! Brady fell in love with his papa right away. It was precious. Every time papa would walk out of the room, Brady would say “PAPA!!” in his adorable little whiney voice. J Ally and Zach had a blast playing with all their cousins and running around outside by the lake that is on The Dixon’s property. We also got to visit with Brian’s cousin, Jen, and her children and went to the Mt. Vernon pool and had some fun in the sun.

It was a very relaxing and fun trip. After three and a half days of visiting, we packed up our stuff to head back home. We were about ten minutes down the road when we realized that Brady’s blanket and my pillow didn’t make it to the car. They have yet to be located! I guess in 6,000 square feet, a pillow can easily hide. I sure hope to get those back. That was my favorite pillow ever!! The drive back home was harder than the drive there. Everyone was tired and grumpy and ready to get home. The kids fought a lot!! Even though we had so much fun, I really needed a vacation when we returned. I told the kids we’ll go back when they turn 18. ;-)

Hypothyroidism

My doctor just called yesterday. My blood work came back from my physical and I have hypothyroidism. I started taking medication for it today. Well, I'm not excited that I have it...but I am excited to finally know what is wrong with me! I am always tired and haven't been able to lose the last five pregnancy pounds regardless of what I do (I work out a lot!) Those are two of the main symptoms of hypothyroidism....weight gain and extreme fatigue. I'm glad they caught it and hope that the medication works for me! If anyone out there has taken medication for this before, let me know how it worked for you please. :) Thanks!