Secular Confessions

[missychrissy]

Congratulations on your new computer Christina!!

Woo hoo Bridget for an awesome day with the kids! I hope everything goes great with the fireworks tonight!! I bet they'll love it! You make me want to live on a lake somewhere.

I'm exhausted. Finally got some packing done. Not much, but it's a start. I'm really perturbed about being interrupted tomorrow. They really don't want us here if we can get away, so we're gonna get away. I've been meaning to go to this store in Ithaca that sells used household items (it's a recycling place for old hardwood floors, doors, windows, kitchen cabinets, etc). I'm hoping they'll have an electric water heater.

I think our neighbors are going to excavate our backyard with their church. They're definitely doing our chimney. I'm so grateful. One less thing (or two, really) that we have to worry about.

[missychrissy]

Oh-and I bought Conner his first item for Kindergarten. I couldn't help it. I was in Walmart and there was a dinosaur backpack. It is adorable and he just loved it!

[daylilies]

Aww does he start this coming year or next?

[missychrissy]

He's starting this September. His birthday is Sept. 25th and he'll be 5 then. I really can't believe it.

When I was buying is backpack I was both happy and sad. I know I'm going to have a really hard time when we put him on the school bus. Even Sydney (who was with me today) said that thinking of him getting on the bus by himself made her sad.

[Smplyme89]

Awww Chrissy, your babies not really a baby anymore

[Gwenn]

Pics please?

Just for you, Kate! I can't link directly to the picture gallery, but click on "John" and there are pics.

[Gwenn]

Chrissy, that's even making me sad about Conner going off to Kindergarten! Your little boy will be all grown up!

[missychrissy]

It wouldn't take much to convince me to wait another year. With his issues still about going potty I think about it all the time. Maybe he's not ready? But he's so curious about everything and I know he'll just love school. And he loves playing with other kids. He's so social. In every other way, he's ready for school. I just don't know what the deal is with his refusing to poop on the potty and having pee accidents at least 1/2 the time.

[Gwenn]

Chrissy, my birthday is in mid-September and I started Kindergarten at four, almost five. I actually really wish my mother had waited a year. All other things aside, I left home to go to college when I was still 17 and again, I wasn't ready for that. Here the kids have to be 5 before September 1st so in AZ, he'd have to wait until next year.

Totally up to you, though, but if he's having trouble PT, that could be embarrassing for him. My sister had a physical problem with her bladder and later had surgery. She peed on the floor in Kindergarten and to this day she remembers being teased about it "in vivid color" as she told me once. Seems like Conner could get the social benefits in another year of preschool.

[missychrissy]

He's not in preschool. He's with my mom all day and that's another concern I have. He's more than ready to be in some kind of educational situation. We wouldn't qualify for head start and I'm not aware of any secular preschool programs in our area. I don't know what to do.

I'm also afraid that if we opt to skip this year it might somehow make it worse. Maybe he'll never go potty because he'll think that will keep him home. Sometimes he says he doesn't want to go to school, but then other times he's really excited about it. When I took him to K registration he had a blast.

His dr said that sometimes it takes peer pressure to get a child to use the potty. Maybe he won't mess his pants at school at all. I'm just really torn on this.

[Gwenn]

Hmmm ... Does the school district run any subsidized preschool programs? Maybe they would accept him as a peer model for one of their special ed preschool programs? You should look into that. We have a program like that here with some "typical" kids mixed in with kids with mild needs who need to be around kids with good social skills. A program like that would likely be tolerant of the PT thing, too. Just a thought.

[Bean]

So Lorelai scared the shizz out of me today. Out of nowhere she says "can we go to that place and learn about God tomorrow?" I was like "WHAT? What place??" and she said "you know, the place where people pray to God and ask him questions? We went there and there were lots of kids and a chalkboard?" It took me a little bit to realize she was talking about La Leche League. We went last month and it's at a church. She had asked what the building was and I told her a church. Since she didn't know what a church was, I explained and for some reason, a month later, she remembered and brought it up. I was like "Lola, we didn't go to learn about God, we went to learn about BOOBIES!"

[daylilies]

LOL Lorelai! That is too cute.


Thanks for the pics Mandy, he is cute! It doesn't bother me when I like a celebrity who is gay...I figure, either way, I don't have a chance with him! One of the nkotb is gay and he is really the nicest and most down to earth one (although they are all very down to earth)--I think he is the most approachable because he's not attracted to his female fans, LOL He brought his boyfriend on the cruise and they are both so cute, it was really fun to see.

Chrissy I've always read, especially with boys, that it's better to wait. Josh will be almost 6 when he starts kindergarten next year. Is there a Y near you? Maybe you could get him in some kind of class just to get him interacting with other kids.

[daylilies]

...if you haven't noticed I have this ridiculous useless talent of turning every conversation back to nkotb. Sorry about that

[Cosmosmom]

Chrissy, my birthday is in mid-September and I started Kindergarten at four, almost five. I actually really wish my mother had waited a year. All other things aside, I left home to go to college when I was still 17 and again, I wasn't ready for that. Here the kids have to be 5 before September 1st so in AZ, he'd have to wait until next year.

Totally up to you, though, but if he's having trouble PT, that could be embarrassing for him. My sister had a physical problem with her bladder and later had surgery. She peed on the floor in Kindergarten and to this day she remembers being teased about it "in vivid color" as she told me once. Seems like Conner could get the social benefits in another year of preschool.

I'm a mid Sept baby too. Deadline was the first and I was born the 12th. My parents had me tested to see about putting me ahead and I passed so academically I was ready. But they talked with a psychologist who said if given the choice, she thought it was better to be the oldest instead of the youngest....and mom thought about it and wasn't liking the idea of me going off to college at 17. So I wasn't put ahead. I think that it was an excellent decision. I liked being the oldest, I was the first of my friends to drive, I started college at 18 but really turned 19 like the second week of school. My senior year I could call myself in sick if I wanted.
Instead of K, I did a pre-K program the year I was five....and I don't know if it was that, or just being a bit older but school was for the most part really pretty easy for me.

If we ever have the choice, I would chose to have my kid be 6 for most of K vs 5 for most of K.

[Ky'sMom]

Elle's birthday is Sept 26th and I am actually pretty peeved that here in GA she will have to start school late. DH's birthday is the same as Connor's 9/25 and he also started early but was really smart academically. He had also gone to preschool for 2 years before kindergarten. I plan on having Elle tested to get into kindergarten early and I also am planning on her going to preschool at 4, I am considering 3 but she really loves her daycare right now and I want her to stay in a smaller environment. Plus she will go to Ky's school anyway, where they only have 6 kids per class so there is no need to get her started in a large preschool with 12+ kids per class. But I am still hesistant with putting her in kindergarten early. I know she will be ready though as she is already doing preschool work with me at home and she does some school work in daycare but I am cautious about her being the youngest, especially since she is pretty tiny anyway so will really stand out as the youngest. DH said he was always one of the biggest kids in class even though he was younger than everyone. I will re-evaluate when she is 4 whether or not to put her in kindergarten early.

But I agree that sometimes being around the other kids will be some positive peer pressure. I also feel that the structured program, with bathroom breaks included, may be of some benefit to him. I know Ky's kindergarten class had 3-4 scheduled potty breaks where they lined up and went to the restroom in the hall way even though they had a restroom in their classroom. But whatever you decide, I'm sure Connor will do well. I agree if you are hesistant though to look for a preschool for him this year so it won't be such of a huge shock when it is time to go to school. Here we have a free pre-K program, one of the benefits of being in this state, and Elle will not be eligible until she is nearly 5 and so I will more than likely test her for kindergarten instead of sending her to pre-K.

Erin

[AmeriBrit]

I was born in August, so I was always one of the youngest in the class, and I enjoyed being the baby. I never struggled with anything (graduated Valedictorian). Most of my teacher friends do agree, though, that being the oldest in the class is to more people's advantage.

Cass, that is so funny about Lorelai; so, you won't be taking her then? ;)

We went to the new drive thru Krispy Kreme today that is about 30 minutes from our house; traffic was backed up majorly! I think the English are learning what it's like to eat REAL doughnuts and they can't get enough of them! LOL

[daylilies]

How come you're getting Krispy Kreme's in England and the only one anywhere near us anymore is at a casino in Connecticut? LOL

[missychrissy]

We went to the new drive thru Krispy Kreme today that is about 30 minutes from our house; traffic was backed up majorly! I think the English are learning what it's like to eat REAL doughnuts and they can't get enough of them! LOL

I'm not sure if their school offers preK. If preK were part time, it would probably be the best scenario for Conner. I doubt he'd have an accident in a 1/2 day, and he'd be getting the school environment that I know he'll love. It seems like it's one of those programs that is constantly being cut, then they'll have a windfall of some sort and it'll be active again, just to get cut the following year. I'll have to call and ask them. Maybe I'll talk to whoever answers the phone and see what they say about our issue.

I found an 80 gallon hot water heater for $100 at Ithaca Reuse! You cannot fathom how happy/relieved I am that we'll be moving in with hot water!!

[missychrissy]

How come you're getting Krispy Kreme's in England and the only one anywhere near us anymore is at a casino in Connecticut? LOL

There aren't any Krispy Kremes near me at all. I didn't know they weren't gas station (i.e. nasty and stale) donuts till last year. I've never seen a Krispy Kreme store. What they sell in the gas stations must be shipped from another state or something.

[missychrissy]

Out of curiosity I just googled...the closest one to me is 65 miles away.

[Gwenn]

We have Krispy Kreme stores here. Love them. We didn't have them until a few years ago, and people lined up in huge lines, then for some strange reason they completely left the state. A couple years later we got them back again and I was so excited! I think I've only had one since they re-opened.

Chrissy, there may not be a public preschool but I'm pretty sure they must have a special ed preschool since federal law mandates services through the school district for kids 3-21. They probably have a program but don't advertise it to parents unless kids qualify. Call the special ed department and ask if they have a preschool program that uses typically developing peer models. Those are generally 1/2 day programs, as well. Ours is 1/2 day, four times a week.

[AmeriBrit]

One of the complaints that I hear a lot from other Americans here is how dry and crappy the English like their cakes, so to have Krispy Kreme here is just awesome! LOL. This particular Krispy Kreme is inside a Starbucks that has a drive-thru. There are not many places that have drive-thrus here, so to have a drive-thru with doughnuts is like....heaven.

[Gwenn]

That's awesome!

[Cosmosmom]

I don't like krispy kreme at all. Way too much sugar for me....I would get sick....I need to be careful still with high sugar/fat content foods.
my local grocery store has some tasty doughnuts though. I like the ones that are twisted and glazed with some cinnamon. Or an apple fritter kind of one. It's so mean because they pipe the smell of the bakery right at the outside the front door. so you walk into the store with doughnuts on your mind. thankfully I'm able to ignore that and get past it to the produce area. I'm not generally a big sweets/desert person....though if I make my snickerdoodles and have those in the house, I can't resist those (and they are DH's and Cosmo's favorite too...good thing it's a small batch cookie unlike some I make....well and right now it's in the 90's so I'm not in the mood to be making cookies!).
Though my MIL suggested I have some snickerdoodles made and a pot of coffee going when the social worker visits in august.

[AmeriBrit]

I (along with all of DH's family) have a major sweet tooth. We could live off dessert (if it was allowed! )

[girlwonder]

I love sweets. I actually have a problem with it. Cannot control it to the point where I think I may be giving myself diabetes.

We were at a little party last week and we were talking about food preferences. I said "I like fruit and cookies" and one of the women said "Are you a toddler?!" tee hee.

[Gwenn]

Yeah, me too.

ETA: Should have quoted Ashley's post!

[AmeriBrit]

I love sweets. I actually have a problem with it. Cannot control it to the point where I think I may be giving myself diabetes.

We were at a little party last week and we were talking about food preferences. I said "I like fruit and cookies" and one of the women said "Are you a toddler?!" tee hee.

LOL, at the toddler comment but not the diabetes (of course!) My biggest vice is full-fat coca cola. I try really hard not to drink much of it since I know it's so bad for the teeth along with everything else, but I love the stuff.

[Gwenn]

I like cake and ice cream. I must be a birthday party!