Mommy Frustrations

Some days I wonder why I even have a blog. I would love to comment on everything I see in today's society but life dictates otherwise. Then I am reminded that with all of the hullabaloo of being a stay-at-home mommy of two under five, I remember. I need an outlet to release. I need to release the frustration of trying to teach a preschooler how to write her numbers and letters. I try to come up with memorable and fun ways to remember which way to move the pencil but apparently it isn't working. I am a mommy who wants her daughter to be the best at everything and apparently have forgotten that this is all new to her. But it's easy...isn't it? I think I'll call my mom and see how my two sisters and I absorbed this thing called writing. I remember being part of the better of the two reading groups in 2nd grade. I just don't remember the steps taken prior to me becoming a good reader. I'm sure my parents helped me but I don't remember their frustration. I wonder if my kids will remember mine?



A few days ago I posted on my FB page how important it is for a preschooler to color in the lines. Most of my friends said it's not important and to let kids be kids. One mom even went on to say she, the mom, still doesn't color in the lines, lol. However, over the summer I accompanied my then 4 year old daughter to a reading class at a local community college and observed a 5 year old whose coloring was superb. I was beginning to worry that my daughter will not be accepted into her Kindergarten class next year because of her not coloring in the lines. The school she attends is a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence and she will be tested later this Spring on her abilities. Is this one I should worry about? Lately she's been doing much better and not just because I hover over her while she colors. I wonder if this intimidates her? I printed off a few coloring pages on Nickjr.com for her to practice on and I'm proud to say she did an excellent job. She's even taking more time to color in the lines at school as well. I just asked her to try her best and that's exactly what I'm getting.

Lunchtime Made Easy

Believe it or not, I am still struggling with packing my daughter's lunch. I'm really trying not to pack her a deli sandwich everyday but you have to admit it is the easiest thing to make. However, would you buy a deli sandwich EVERYDAY and enjoy it? Nope. Didn't think so. The school she attends is a nut free school so that automatically eliminates peanut butter and jelly which would have been #2 on my preferred sandwiches to send her.




Girl's Mackenzie Lunch Bags $11.99 - $22.00


Right now, she has a Hello Kitty lunch box which is really cute but the space is very limited. I ordered her the Classic Lunch Bag in purple polka dot simply because it was on sale. I also had her name monogrammed on the front for an additional $6.50.

Preschool Lunch Bag - $12.99 - $22.00
(Pink/green butterfly bag is cute but of course it wasn't on sale.)

After three months of packing lunch, I have finally realized that kids don't have to each just sandwiches for lunch. Thus far, I have been sending turkey and chicken sandwiches, grilled cheese on occasion, and I have been known to send in fried chicken and mac n' cheese which almost never gets wasted.



Spencer Bento Box Container - $14.00

The Bento box which I first learned about while watching "Olivia," the cartoon, not my daughter, is a good investment. I'm planning to fill the compartments with small portions of snacks which hopefully will fill her tummy daily until 1 p.m. Then of course the snack dilemma begins which she asks for the moment she gets into the car. Really? Yes, really. The kids are fed a school snack at 10 a.m. then lunch at 11:30 a.m. and school ends at 1 p.m.





Spencer Clear Food Storage - $18.50

It's good to see that Pottery Barn is using healthy snacks to promote their products. Michelle Obama would be proud.




Spencer Utensils $8.00


Of course I had to buy these cute utensils. On occasion I put send real silverware to school with her, but usually put a plastic fork and spoon in her lunch bag. So far, she hasn't thrown the silverware away so maybe sending the Spencer Utensils will be a safe bet.



Girl's Klean Kanteen Water Bottles - $19.00

Preschool Meet & Greet

My daughter wore this Mini Boden Flowery Applique

Dress from Nordstroms to her preschool meet and greet

Late last year my husband and I attended a few preschool open houses. We liked the current preschool our daughter was in but felt it wasn’t giving our daughter enough of what we felt she needed. The school she attended focused on learning through playing which is fine for the first year. The previous year she attended a 2 ½ year old Slow Separation program for children who have never been apart from their parents and who weren’t quite old enough for preschool. She separated nicely, made wonderful friends, and we noticed a great difference in her speaking ability. We wanted her around other children her age. We got what we needed from this school. However, if she were to stay in this program it would be another year of the same thing. She needed more stimulation so we sought out a program that provided just what we and she needed which was an emphasis on learning in an academic setting and a longer day in class. Okay, so I needed the longer day but we feel she can handle it.

Today, her new school hosted a meet and greet where she met the other little girls in her class. The boys attended the same event but at a later time. I was given the heads up from a mom whose daughter just completed this same program. She informed me that she liked the school and the teachers but that the mom’s did nothing but gossip about the other kids and that her daughter didn’t have any friends in the class. She shared that her daughter wasn’t into playing princess dress up and that she would rather play with boys. After learning this I arrived at the meet and greet with an open mind and didn’t let her experience influence the experience I was about to have. Besides, my daughter’s classmates will be different as will their parents.

As we approached the classroom, the moms and their daughters were hanging out. I could tell immediately that most of them knew one another as they had “moved up” from the nursery program at the same school. The girls from the nursery school gravitated toward one another which I found natural. My daughter would have done the same had she previously attended as well. The night before, I told my daughter we would be visiting a new school and told her when she meets a new friend to say, “Hi, my name is Olivia. What’s your name?” and that is how she would begin to make new friends. After all, this is one of the topics I teach in my youth etiquette program. Of course it didn’t quite happen this way but with a slight nudge from all of the parents, the introductory period took less than a minute and the girls started to interact.

The school is just a short 5 minute drive from our home and one town over. Although she appears to be the only African American child in the class, I was pleased to find that she is not the only student of color. Two of the little girls are Asian which is a culture my daughter has not been personally exposed to with the exception of watching Ni Hao Kai Lan on Nick Jr.

Ni Hao Kai Lan - Nick Jr.

After we left our daughters donned in their summer dresses and glittered sandals, the parent orientation was a pleasant experience for me. I was pleased to find that each student should bring a folder to class each day, bring a packed lunch, bring a beverage for the school provided snack, and carry a back pack to school each day. My baby is growing up. Now it is up to me to make sure I send her to school with a lunch that she will definitely eat and not trade for a better meal.

We were asked to not pack any snacks/meals with peanuts as it is a nut free environment. After this announcement was made, a parent immediately informed us that their child has a fatal allergy to peanuts. I guess that means no PB&J sandwiches, huh? The school does allow the kids to wear shoes other than sneakers. I’m really excited about this because my daughter’s last school only allowed them to wear sneakers. I wonder what I’ll buy?