Cooper

Check out this cutie Buckeye kid!! This is Cooper, he is my girlfriend's son. He is 9 months old here. I went to Columbus to visit my girls and got to spend some time with him as well. Awesome girls weekend by the way...

Just Call me Cheech

Not even sure what to say?!? It started with Gavin playing Batman and Nora in her dress for the day in her red Dorthy slippers. Then Gavin was done and she took over. There was a sword but no picture of that. After lunch, she was done first, so she went to find something to do and settled on the guitar. I laughed, really hard. She reminded me of Cheech Marin in Up in Smoke - hilarious.

Similar, but not...(Earache My Eye)

Continued progress

I wrote previously about Gavin and his picky eater syndrome...I re-read the post from before and I think that what I didn't say is that I am an enabler. I have helped make my son this way. I did learn from those mistakes I have made with him and not repeated most/some of them with Nora and now Dylan. Of course, I can't correct the situation with Gavin instantaneously however, I am trying to make progress. He does still refuse, mostly, to try new things. That makes it tough. We are working this with encouragement and a willingness to put up with him spitting things out.


In the meantime, I try to stretch his menu but man, seems like he continues to give things up that he once ate and rarely adds anything new. We had lasagna for dinner the other night and he was hesitant. He asked one of his standard questions:

G: "Have I had this before?".
me: "yes..."
G: "Do I like it?"
Pete: "Yes, it is like pizza noodles."
me: raised eyebrow to Pete with Gavin looking
G: "Ok, I'll try it."

first bite
second bite

G: "I really like this and I am going to eat the whole thing."
me: "Ok buddy"

A few bites go by, Pete and I have exchanged a few more looks.

G: "Mom?" [I freeze] "Is there more lasagna?", excitedly.
me: "Yes, finish your bowl and you can have more."

We continue eating and I lose track of Gavin.
G: "Mom, may I please have more lasagna? It is delicious and I need more."
me: shock..."Sure buddy." I move quickly into the kitchen to fill the request before he changes his mind.

We continued to discuss dinner, lasagna and trying new things for a short time and then moved on.

Progress again? Maybe. I will continue to improve and diversify his menu and undo some of my doing.

"at"

Dylan loves a hat ("at")! He wears ones that are his and steals Daddy's hats on a regular basis...

1st Day of Preschool - Nora Girl

In the midst of a busy back to school fall, festivals, picnics, and my occasional fixation on Dylan's changes in the past year the other major noteworthy milestone in the Vitale Family is Nora's move to preschool this fall. Nora started in preschool class on Sept. 2. She was very unconvinced that this was indeed occurring. When I would talk to her about it, she would tell me, "Mommy, I'm a nursery schooler, not preschooler." I tried to explain the change to her several times and the message was not getting through. So, the big day finally arrived, I took a few pictures as we were leaving for school and she was off. Her schedule and routine do not change much at daycare. Same drop off and pickup, etc but she is in the preschool/Kindergarten room during the morning and through lunch time. She is loving the new school environment. She loves the new books, songs, stories and play areas. I am very proud of my preschooler. She told me when I picked her up from school, "Mommy, did you know that Mrs. Searight is my teacher now and that I am in preschool?". "Really Nora, I didn't know that".

Dylan insisted on a picture as well...you are a big boy too buddy!

Phase 3: First day of Kindergarten, Bus

Phase 3 complete - Kindergarten has begun. Sept. 1 was the first full day including the bus. Pete and I went to daycare as normal although we rarely go together. Nora and Dylan were delivered as usual and Gavin moved into the school-ager room to wait for the bus. Pete and I went downstairs and outside to wait for bus pick-up. They keep the kids in the school as long as possible and actually they don't start coming out until the bus stops. So, here are a few pictures of Gavin making his way the bus. He never hesitated. He happily joined the others on the bus. He did look out the window and wave to Pete how was closer to the bus than me. I was cemented into place on the sidewalk. I literally couldn't move as I watched him. I was afraid to move. Afraid that I would scoop him up to hug him, or keep him, not let him take this step forward. I was also afraid he would see the tears sliding down my cheeks. I waved wildly at him in the bus, Pete was close enough to see him smile as the bus pulled away. I sobbed and not alone.

Gavin had a wonderful day. He successfully made his way to school and back to daycare. He ate most of his lunch, at least the part he found in one zipper compartment. He enjoyed music class, his Tuesday "specials" class and made a new friend, Micheal. We were also happy to find out that Gavin's long time friend Jack from daycare is still using the after school program at daycare. So, they get to spend a few hours together in the pm.