Educating Mommy

I had a lump in my throat before the door clicked shut behind me.  I just barely made it to the parking lot before the tears came.  I sat there knowing I had to leave but I couldn't make myself drive off.  The tears burned my eyes and ran down my face.  How was I going to leave Wilson here with complete strangers.  He was only 11 months old and had never been in daycare before. I just knew that he would find some rogue marble and choke on it before they could get to him.  What if they forgot to give him his sippy cup and dehydration sat in before I got back to pick him up.  Surely these people didn't know how to take care of my baby.  How was he ever going to nap with 8 other kids in the room? How were they going to know when he was hungry?  I was certain that I would get a call before the end of the day.  The call never came.  I got there to pick him up expecting to find him waiting by the door.  I burst into the room to see him sitting on the floor with a little friend playing with a puzzle.  He was perfectly happy and content.  He was not choking on a marble and he appeared to be well hydrate.  Was it really possible that my baby could survive out in the world without me?  Well maybe not out in the real world but he could clearly navigate the world of daycare without missing a beat.  Of course every day wasn't perfect.  He was repeatedly bitten by a little terror named Courtney.   He got a piece of a crayon stuck in his nose when he was about two.  He had his first playground brawl with his good buddy Zach over the posession of a red wagon.  He had tantrums when he got overwhelmed and he didn't always take a nap.  But there were hundreds of wonderful days.  He brought home artwork made of macaroni noodles and yarn.  There were field trips to Barnes and Noble.  There were Christmas musicals and Valentines parties, poster board projects and Show and Tells.  But most importantly were the friends we made. Wilson has been incredibly blessed with some wonderful teachers.  Miss Grace, Miss Susie, Miss Allison, Miss Dueland, Miss Badillo, Miss Kristen, Miss Rodriguez, Miss Lee,  Miss Supreya, Miss Donalyn and Miss Babs.  They have all helped shape the amazing little boy that Wilson has become.  I can't believe that four and a half years has passed since that first morning that I dropped Wil off at Neighborhood Academy.  He has learned so much and had so many experiences.  Kindergarten will be here before we know it and I will have a whole new set of worries.  Will he be able to manage the cafeteria on his own?  Will he get lost on his way to the library? There are a lot of unknows but two things I am pretty sure of... On Wilson's first day of Kindergarten, I will sit in the parking lot and cry and he will never miss a beat!

Target (and other dangerous places you should never take your husband)

I've never been what you would call a shopaholic.  I mean, I like to buy a new pair of shoes or an outfit now and then.  I usually buy a new purse at the change of the season and I do enjoy an occasional trip to the mall.  But, I have never been one of those women who spends too much time and too much money buying things that I don't need or won't use.
Having said this, I should confess that I do have a bit of a problem when it comes to shopping for my kids.  I mean have you seen the outfits they have for little girls! It is ridiculous how cute some of the clothes and accessories are for little girls.  And it isn't just girls.  There are some pretty stylish duds out there for the wee men in your life.  One of my favorite places to shop for the kids is Target.  They really do have some cute clothes and you don't have to spend a fortune.
I have to warn my girlfriends though...DO NOT TAKE YOUR HUSBAND WITH YOU TO TARGET.  If you don't heed my warning you will be peppered with comments like this "Yes, that is a cute swimsuit but doesn't Sophi already have six" or "Why would Wilson need another pair of shorts."  Now, are these practical statements? Yes.  Are they factual statements? Yes again.  Are they relevant?  Not so much.  Of course Sophi doesn't NEED six swimsuits but she will look absolutely adorable in all of them and who am I to deny the world that much cuteness. Wilson doesn't HAVE to have a dozen pair of shorts but isn't it better to be safe than sorry.
I have discovered that everyone is happier when I make my Target trips solo.  This eliminates Roger's need to be practical and  my need to explain why a little girl may need sandals in 4 or 5 different colors. 
Now, here is the real beauty in all of this.  Roger recently made a rather large purchase and because of our little arrangement, Roger didn't have to listen to me ask silly questions like  "why do you need an LED as opposed to an LCD TV" or "Isn't 42 inches big enough, do you really need a 50 inch TV".
See, everyone is happy.

Bowser's Castle

Now those of you who grew up in the 80's like I did will have a healthy understanding of this post.  I'm sure you played Nintendo into the wee hours of the morning.  You mastered Duck Hunt, Pitfall and Super Mario Brothers.  Well my 5 year old has reintroduced me to the fun (and additiction) of video games. 
Wilson got a Nintendo DS for Christmas and like every other little boy in the world, we have had to pry it out of his hands when it was time to put it away. It got so bad that I decided to impliment a token system where Wilson could earn a token each day and then exchange it for video game time.  Sounds like a good plan right? Everything was going along just fine until the other day when Wilson said "Mommy can you help me. I'm stuck on this level and I can't get past it."  Now, I'm pretty sure I uttered something like "Sweet Heart, Mommy doesn't know how to play that game".  He insisted, begging "Can't you just try? I have to get past Bowser's castle!".   All of you mommies out there know you can't resist your kids sad little face when they are looking at you with those big eyes asking for help.  I took his DS and sat down on the couch.  Suddenly the familiar music of Mario Brothers is chirping along.  The little mushroom men are bouncing toward you and turtles are fast on your tail. I'm racing along picking up gold coins, breaking bricks, dodging snapping flowers and trying to get safely to the castle.  Wait a minute... I know this game, I'm good at this game.  Wilson looks at me with wide eyes and says "That's what I'm talking about Mommy!"  So here we are today.  Wilson and I play a little Super Mario Bros. every night.  It tends to get a little rowdy.  We occasionally get a "look" from Roger who must be thinking that I have lost my mind.  Last night he actually said and I quote "If you two don't settle down I'm taking that thing away from both of you". Wilson and I giggled and tried to be more quiet but within seconds we had been attacked by a flying turtle who was spitting flames!  We both lost our DS privileges for the rest of the night because we alomost woke up Sophi. 
So here are the lessons I take from this...
1. There does need to be a limit on the amount of time you let your kids play video games.
2. Play with your kids when they ask you to.  They are only little for a little while.
3. Make sure you have fire power when you get to World 2 level eight or the fire spitting turtle will kill you every time !