Gerritt's Pre-K Graduation

Getting ready to perform

Today was a bittersweet day. It was Gerritt's last pre-kindergarten day. It seems that only yesterday he went to his first class. I drove him to the pre-K class at the Community Center near our house & then picked him up 3 days a week for almost a year. I rearranged my work schedule to make it possible. Only a few short hours to me (3.5 hours per day), but it was a whole new world to Gerritt. He learned about letters & numbers, insects & animals, coral reef & the jungle. He made art, learned how to sing, planted seeds & grew a butterfly. He learned about his body & how to make presentations. Gerritt also made many new friends.
With my Dad visiting from Russia, I was focused on getting the kids fed, pottied & dressed (I spent most of the morning chasing Jacob). Gerritt's pre-K graduation was at 12:15 pm, so we left on time to find parking & buy flowers for both of Gerritt's teachers. Luckily, my husband had today off, so I put him in charge of Jacob (Gerritt's concert happened to be near Jacob's nap time). I was in charge of video camera & photos.

Gerritt - the silver fish

Gerritt's face lit up seeing all of us walking into the room. First, the children presented a play for us. Gerritt was the main character - the silver fish. The silver fish was mean to other fish so no one wanted to play with him. When he took some of his sparkling fish scales off & shared them with other fish, he found friends again. The singing followed. The celebration ended with children singing Louis Armstrong's What a Beautiful World.

Singing What a Beautiful World

Cookie time

They were holding beautiful posters they painted to reflect some of the song's most memorable lines. Gerritt held a poster of a rainbow & he proudly lifted it up when he sang, "The colors of the rainbow...So pretty.. in the sky." After concert, the program's director Mrs. Vicky presented each child with pre-K graduation certificate as well as the graduation teddy bear. The celebration ended with everyone having cookies, cupcakes & juice. Gerritt was a wonderful host asking Sophia & I whether we wanted some juice or water. He also made sure Sophia had the chocolate cupcake she wanted.

Gerritt with his preschool teachers - Mrs. Vicky & Mrs. Barbara

I took Gerritt's photo with both of his teachers, since it would be a while before they see each other again. Of course, the teachers encouraged parents to bring the children for a visit. I was so busy getting everyone to Gerritt's graduation on time, making video of the concert & taking photos, I didn't have much time to be sad. The finality of the moment hit me only when the kids went to bed in the evening. It was the first quiet I had all day & I finally had the chance of think about & look back at Gerritt's past year. I wish there was a way to slow down time. The first 3 years of Gerritt's life were so busy, I wished he grew faster more times than I could count. And now my not-so-little "baby" will be turning 6 this fall as well as starting a kindergarten. Although Gerritt doesn't need me as much as he used to when he was younger we remain very close. And even though he has to share my attention with Sophia & Jacob, I have never regretted giving him siblings. I am so proud of the young man Gerritt is becoming & feel so lucky to be his Mom.

The last words of advice from Mrs. Barbara

Russian grandpa enjoying the celebration

Gerritt & family

Murphy's Law

Sick Sophia with her pink blanket & baby tiger

Of course, just as my Mom left for much needed vacation in Mexico, all 3 of my children got the flu. Cleaning up vomit & diarrhea, keeping everyone hydrated & pumping breast milk for Jacob for the past 2 days, I hardly had a minute to myself. Luckily the kids tolerated the flu well. Sophia who initially complained of fever & chills & spent her time by watching cartoons & snuggling on the couch with her blanket & "baby tiger," started to feel better on the 3rd day.

Gerritt & Jacob also bounced back quickly. I knew the children were on the road to recovery when they organized a group play using the Tonka truck. The truck was big enough to allow them to take turns sitting in it. Although the thought of the truck potentially flipping over with one of the kids ending up on the ground crossed my mind, I didn't stop them. I felt they could use some laughter after the last couple of miserable days.

I kept a careful watch as they pushed each other around the living room. Even Jacob surprised me with his strength by pushing Gerritt all by himself. Goodbye flu, hello happiness!

Camping

My children's latest favorite pastime includes "camping." Although they've never camped before, they insisted on doing just that in babushka's bedroom today. After I helped them with erecting the tent, Gerritt & Sophia brought pillows & their favorite stuffed animals inside. They knew enough about camping to pack their backpacks, wear hats & to ask I turn off the lights so they could use the flashlight. Of course, there is no fun in camping without food so pizza we baked for dinner came in handy. The kids had their dinner inside the tent & the adults got some peace & quiet. :-)

Santa Photo

After waiting in line for over 30" Gerritt, Sophia & Jacob met Santa again this year. I quickly put Jacob on Santa's lap before he had a chance to turn around & realize that the reason he could see me was because I WASN'T the one holding him. My Mom was clapping her hands, I was making Jacob laugh & the photographer was ringing his bell. Santa was smart enough to be quiet. Jacob was trying to figure out how to react to all the attention. The 3-second delay gave the photographer just enough time to snap a picture. Loud crying which followed let us know Jacob wanted to be as far away from Santa as possible. Another memory made & mission accomplished!

Their Own Bedroom At Last!

Bedtime story with Daddy

Today is truly one of the biggest days of the year! After cosleeping with us for over 3 years (Gerritt since age 2 & Sophia since infancy), both kids are finally sharing the bunk bed & sleeping in their own bedroom.
My slow but deliberate attempt to get them out of our bedroom began in April of 2011 when I was just 9 weeks pregnant with Jacob. Gerritt & I made a trip to Ikea & selected his new "big boy" bed (a bunk bed later to be shared with Sophia). He seemed really excited about it at first & was happy to sleep on the top, while I slept on the bottom, for 1 whole week. However, shortly after he refused to sleep in the new bed again & moved back into my bedroom. Sophia continued cosleeping with Daddy, which was fine with us since she still was so little. Gerritt coslept with me all through my pregnancy & following Jacob's birth.

When Jacob was 1 month old, my Mom moved in with us. Since Gerritt still slept with me & Sophia slept with Daddy, the kids' room & their bunk bed turned out to be the only available sleeping space for my Mom. She took over Jacob's night time care. After moving the kids' toys to my husband's bedroom, we soon moved Jacob's crib into the kids' bedroom, next to my Mom. So for the past year my poor Mom has been sleeping on the bottom of the kids' bunk bed & using the level above for clothes, diaper & linen storage.
To say that our sleeping arrangement was inconvenient would be an understatement. My Mom felt crammed in & would often hit her head on the kids' bed frame when getting up multiple times at night to care for Jacob. Gerritt often didn't want to sleep without me & would stay up late waiting for me to finish my house chores (& as a result be cranky the next day). My husband had to go to bed early to comfort Sophia. Gerritt's clothes was still stored in my Mom's bedroom so it was often a challenge to put away his things & get an outfit ready for the next day between Jacob's naps & before his bedtime. My husband's bedroom was filled with kids' toys & books. Jacob was crawling all over the house (while getting into everything), & there was no private room for Gerritt & Sophia to play. They had to get their own room again.

The process of getting the kids to sleep on their own has been gradual over the past year. My Mom often put Sophia on the bottom of the bunk bed for naps during the day. Shon & I would often swap the kids at night so that they could get their fair share of Mommy & Daddy time. This way Gerritt, who was used to sleeping only with me since the age of 2, got comfortable with sleeping with someone else. Also, it has become a pattern for my husband & the older kids to spend 1 night over the weekend at his Mom's house almost every week (to give my Mom & I that much needed break). We knew the sleeping arrangements had to change, so a couple of months ago my Mom & I made another trip to Ikea & bought a queen-size bed, a dresser & a wardrobe for my husband's bedroom. I also sold the king-size bed my husband & Sophia were using on Craig's list.
With Jacob's 1st birthday just 2 days away, I finally had enough of the chaos. It took us about 3 hours but we moved all of my Mom's things & Jacob's crib into my husband's bedroom. We also moved all of the toy shelves & kids' toys from my husband's bedroom into the kids' bedroom. By the end of the night, the kids were sleeping in the bunk bed in their bedroom (Gerritt on the top & Sophia on the bottom), my Mom & Jacob were sharing a spare bedroom & my husband & I were alone together at last. What a joy it is just to put the kids to bed at 8:30 or 9 pm, say goodnight & turn off the lights. I can't believe it took us such a long time to get Gerritt & Sophia into their own beds, but I am so glad we are finally here!

Gerritt Is 5 Years Old!

Our family

Gerritt has turned 5 years old today. We had a delightful birthday celebration with our friends & family. 10-month-old Jacob reminded me of Gerritt's baby stage not so long ago. I remember him learning to crawl & taking his first steps like it was yesterday. Life has come full circle again.
Gerritt started pre-kindergarten this fall. He absolutely loves it & even wakes up early on his school days to get ready. I've had to change my work schedule to make it possible for him to attend, so I usually work evening shift at the hospital (3-11:30 pm) on his school days & during the day (at the hospital or clinic) on his days off. Gerritt used to love to sleep in, but now he even wakes me up, "Wakey, wakey! Time to get up!" He loves the whole routine of going to school, packing his lunch, doing preschool activities & interacting with his teachers & new-found friends. He usually has something to show me when I pick him up (a drawing or a craft) & we have the ritual of sitting outside to talk about his day & to admire his artwork. He often pleasantly surpises me by the things he learns (e.g., table manners such as "not reaching across," "helping an old lady with her grocery bags," how to position himself during an earthquake, etc).

Gerritt & Jacob awaiting guests

Our little princess ready to celebrate

Right after turning 5 Gerritt announced he wanted to sleep with Daddy. We shared bed together since he was 2 & after 3 years together it was difficult for me to let him go. However, I've been anticipating the Daddy-loving stage & wasn't surprised. Sophia, who slept with Daddy since she was an infant, was more than happy to replace the empty spot in my bed & get her fill of Mommy time. Thankfully, Gerritt slept with Daddy for only a week before he started to miss me again. Out latest sleeping arrangement involves the kids alternating nights between my husband & I.
Gerritt is really into the Angry Birds computer game so his favorite birthday present turned out to be a set of soft toy angry birds. Sophia & Jacob were more than happy to take over Gerritt's other presents such as a set of musical instruments, a set of racing cars, large paper & a set of finger paints & wooden blocks.

Best buddies (most of the time)

Gerritt favorite pasttime activity involves coloring. He colors almost every day & doesn't get tired of it. He asks me or Daddy to print coloring pages for him (mostly Angry Birds & Mario Brothers) several times a day. Gerritt learned to write his first name recently so he puts it on all his artwork. He also learned to make "books" at his preschool so he illustrates several pages & comes up with a storyline (usually a funny one). He then asks me to write the story down on his colored pages & then tape them together in a book pattern. Daddy's job is to read the stories as soon as he comes home from work. Gerritt loves transformer toys & often plays with them before going to bed. Once I found Gerritt playing & laughing with 3 of his favorite transformers & the sheriff car from the Cars cartoon & asked him what he was doing. He replied, "I am showing the transformers to sheriff. They are talking about something funny!" :-)

"Look, angry birds!"

Gerritt & babushka

"Are you going to stay home all day today, Mommy?" is Gerritt's usual first question of the day upon waking up in the mornings. He is happily relieved if the answer is yes. He is sad if I tell him I will stay home for another hour, but will have to go to work after that. He will then say, "Can you stay home for 5 hours & 10 hours, Mommy?" I proceed to explain that I have to go & take care of the "sick people." Gerritt usually responds, "Let Ms. Irina [our nanny] take care of sick people. You stay home!" Sometimes he'll say, "Will you give the sick people vitamins, Mommy, & make them feel better?" Gerritt loves me & wants to spend as much time together as possible. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Happy birthday, Gerritt! It is so rewarding to watch you grow up.

The aftermath

Gerritt's First Pre-kindergarten Day

Today was the first day of Gerritt's pre-kindergarten. I signed him up for the program at the community center close to our house back in April. As much as he enjoys playing with Sophia, I felt it would be beneficial for him to get out of the house & socialize with other children closer to his own age (his current class consists of other 4- & 5-year-olds). I also wanted him to get used to the routine of going to school (to ease the transition to kindergarten next year), even if it's just 3 days a week (Monday, Wednesday & Friday from 9:30 am - 1 pm).

I was able to spend considerable amount of time reading books, studying letters/numbers & doing arts/crafts with Gerritt prior to Jacob's arrival. Nowadays, with so much of my time taken up by exclusive pumping, keeping crawling Jacob safe, recovering from sleepless nights, cooking nutritious meals for the whole family & making Jacob's teething pains more tolerable, to name a few, I simply can't give Gerritt the same level of attention. As much as he loves being with me, he needs more social & intellectual stimulation.

Gerritt was so excited to go & I enjoyed packing his first ever school lunch. Friendly teachers Vicky & Barbara (who is from England & really reminds me of an English nanny on the Nanny 911 TV show) taught children to wash their hands upon arrival & went over typical daily routine. Afterwords, we were able to meet other parents & kids (14 total) & to get familiar with the classroom. It happens to be right next to the large outdoor playground we like to visit. I could see Sophia, Jacob & I spending many mornings there while waiting to pick up Gerritt. I can't believe my oldest son is almost 5 years old! I hope it will be a fun & productive school year & Gerritt will thrive in his new environment.

The Return Of The Dalmatian

About 2.5 years ago, Gerritt received a stuffed dalmatian puppy as a goodbye present from Ms. Tamara, his beloved Russian daycare teacher. He fell in love with it instantly &, along with his stuffed brown dog from Ikea, carried it with him everywhere including bed, car, park, dentist, etc. After a while, as Gerritt's collection of stuffed animals grew, the dalmatian occasionally got left behind. When Gerritt turned 4 years old, in my haste to get rid of all malfunctioning & less popular toys, I donated the dalmatian to Goodwill. Gerritt seemed to prefer his brown dog, &, in my mind, wasn't going to miss the worn out, floppy dalmatian.
Unfortunately, I was wrong. Gerritt not only noticed its absence, but he wanted it back. After being told that the dalmatian got donated so other children who didn't have any toys could play with it, Gerritt insisted on looking for his dalmatian on every shopping trip to Goodwill. We also looked for a replacement dalmatian at Target, Fred Meyer, Costco & Walmart without much luck. The rare dalmatians we found either were not the right size, were not soft or cute enough.
Yesterday I took Gerritt & Sophia with me on a shopping trip to Ikea. Of course, we had to stop by the kids' section to play & look around &, what joy!, discovered a large box full of soft dalmatians for sale. Sophia got a soft bunny & Gerritt got a new dalmatian puppy. It was worth a long trip to Ikea to see Gerritt's lit up face. Peace & happiness restored...for now.

Happy 4th birthday, Gerritt!

Four years ago our lives were changed forever when we became parents for the first time. After a difficult labor (natural birth turned into an unexpected C-section) Gerritt was born. My husband & I were both only children & were not exposed to a lot of children as adults. I only remember rolling my eyes while observing a toddler temper tantrum at the grocery store, "I will have better control of my kids!" Gerritt didn't come with a set of instructions & had a challenging task of teaching us how to take care of him. There were many sleepless nights & difficulties along the way, but Gerritt helped us to become a true family. He also paved the way for Sophia & his little brother. Becoming his parents brought us so much joy, we simply couldn't stop at having one child! :-)


Pancake & sausage breakfast with uncle Ananth & family

Gerritt's 4th birthday morning began with a surprise visit from uncle Ananth (our dear friend & Gerritt's godfather).


1st present (Cars-2 movie play set) was opened right after

My husband, Ananth & I shared in the cost of one of Gerritt's birthday presents - the Cars-2 movie play set (a racing track & 4 various cars).


Time to blow out the birthday candles!

Gerritt & I made his favorite chocolate cake the night before. I also bought the sunflowers & the balloons the day prior to make Gerritt's birthday morning more special.


Opening presents from grandma Chris & grandpa Gerry

Gerritt's American grandparents joined us later in the afternoon & more present opening followed. Since Gerritt is in love with all kinds of super heroes, the remote-controlled Captain America on a motorcycle turned out to be a big hit. He also got the Captain America shield from Daddy & Dr. Seuss's Twister game from Chris & Gerry.


Playing the Twister game later in the evening


Running with the balloons is so much fun!


Sophia's turn!

Our neighbor Rinku & her son Yash surprised Gerritt by stopping by in the evening with several more presents including a miniature leggo set & the Cars movie pajamas.


Birthday photo with Mom & Dad (Sophia was taking a nap)

Happy birthday, Gerritt! You are truly a special boy!