Is it Summer Yet?

For a full month, my little boy has been asking me if it's summer.  "Is it summer, Mommy?  Mommy, is it summer?  Can I go pool?"  For a three year-old, he has an excellent recollection of last summer.  He knows exactly where his little pool is stored in the garage, and he's always asking about going to the beach.  Even though he doesn't officially know all of his seasons, he's definitely a summer baby.  (Heck, he really is...his birthday is in August.)

For the past month, I've been telling him it's spring.  It's time for grass and green leaves and flowers and rain to make everything grow.  Still, he's not convinced.  The weather is warmer, the days are longer, and to him, it's summer.  It's time to break out the pool.  And you know what?  This Memorial Day weekend has certainly felt like summer.  On Saturday night we took a stroll by the beach, and yesterday we had an opportunity to enjoy a good old fashioned picnic with our friends and their children.  So, for the sake of my little boy, it is summer.  Why not?  Sure it's not official until June 21st, but in the meantime, let's take out those shorts for good and get the pool ready!  After a wonderful weekend spent outdoors, I'm ready to embrace the season now too.

Lewie and Daddy at West Haven Beach.

My turn with Little Lewie.

A little tricycle riding on the pier.

Enjoying the beach.  The cold water was no deterrent for my little boy.

Hanging out at the slip -n- slide.

My good friend Debbie with her little girl.  They definitely had the Memorial Day spirit!

Time to roast marshmallows. 

They love smores just as much as I do!

Getting dressed.  I caught you!

My friend Jen from elementary school.  (We all had baby fever after the day was over.)

A New Preschool...

Today my little boy will begin a new preschool for the summer. He had a little "end of the year" ceremony on Friday at the community college preschool that only stays open during the traditional fall and spring semester.

We did this shuffle last year. He went to a preschool called Teddy Bear Tree House, and although I liked the school and the teachers very much, it took Lewie nearly two months to get used to it. Then when he finally felt comfortable (a.k.a. he didn't cry anymore when I dropped him off), it was time for him to go back to the old school. Ugh!

This year my goal was to have him go back to Teddy Bear Tree House, but there was a wait list to get back in. Even though I called in February to reserve a spot for him, I was too late. I thought my luck had run out until I found a cute little place called Little Explorers that's only 12 minutes from my home. I immediately liked the preschool owner and Little Lewie's teacher, and his classroom was adorable. "Let me show you the animals," said Jackie, the owner.

"You have animals?" I asked.

"Yes, we have class pets! We have a pet guinea pig and a lizard." (I think there might have been another animal too.) "Whenever the little ones are having a bad day or feeling blue, we immediately bring them to the pet corner. It's amazing how much animals can make them feel better. It's so therapeutic."

I never thought about it before, but she was right. We don't have any pets at home (yet), but I knew Lewie enjoys seeing the cats and dogs over at my in-law's house every time he visits.

She showed me a black and white photography project the kids had been working on. Then on another visit, they showed me a quilt project they started. "We cook all the time here," the teacher told me. "Kids just love baking."

Little Lewie hasn't seen this new preschool in over a month, but he's been talking about the new school for a while. "He keeps saying his new school has a gate," his old teacher Miss Laura told me last week. "Does it have a gate?"

"I think it does," I answered. I knew there was a gate around the play area outside. Was there a gate in the room too? I couldn't remember, but since my little boy loves elevators and doors of all shapes and sizes, it didn't surprise me that the thing that impressed him the most was a gate. I hope he grows to love other things too.

So, today is a new beginning...at least for a little while until September arrives.  Last year my little guy didn't have an easy transition, but I hope today will be easier for him...

I know you're gonna do great Little Lewie. Just be yourself, and remember that your mama is very proud!

Preschool Days

Little Lewie's preschool days are winding down at the community college.  Since the school is connected to the college's early childhood education program, it follows the school calendar, which means that Lewie will be finishing his year there on May 18th.

My goal was to send Lewie to Teddy Bear Tree House, the daycare he attended last summer, but when I learned in early February that he was number four on a wait list, I decided I couldn't waste any time...I needed to secure another preschool for him before it was too late.  (After all, both Mommy and Daddy have to work year-round, even though I would love to have my summers off.)

Since Lewie's preschool at the college is commencing in less than a month, they've held several events in April to "showcase" what the kids learned during the year.  The first was their annual art exhibit.  (Lewie participated in this last year too.)  I came with Lewie on opening night to see his artwork and the artwork of his little friends...)

The grand opening of the exhibit.

Lewie presenting his work...or well...standing in front of it.

A better view of Lewie's art.

In case you couldn't read the dedication...(Mommy is very modest about this.)

A better view of the exhibit.

His little friend's artwork...

Lewie being congratulated by Miss Kim.

After the exhibit, Lewie took interest in a student's drum kit.  How lucky that the student let him play it!

"This is fun Mommy!"

"Oops.  Hit myself in the head."

"I'm jamming!"

  
The next event, held this past Thursday, was "Storytellers Night." On this special night, he had a chance to present his storybook on the stage of the college's 'Playbox Theater.'   It was adorable as the teachers read each of the children's stories and presented their artwork to go along with the story.  Lewie is one of the younger children in his class, so his was about talking on the phone and riding the elevator.  Some of his older four (almost five) year-old friends had elaborate, mystical stories about witches, princes, and princesses.  It was quite a production!

Miss Debbie presenting Lewie's book (dedicated to Mommy).

Little Lewie the star.

"This is a little embarrassing..."

Another storybook presentation.  This time for his classmate Jason.

It was definitely fun going to these events...  It makes me realize how much Little Lewie has grown and learned in such a short period of time.  I definitely couldn't be prouder of my little boy.

Exploring the Past (a Vist to my Alma Mater)

Just yesterday I took my three year-old with me to my old stomping grounds, Sacred Heart University, known to most beloved alums as SHU.  "Whatever made you think about taking Lewie there?" my mom asked after I told her about our little adventure.

"Well, since he loves exploring college campuses (Mommy and Daddy both work at different colleges, and he loves to visit us at work) I figured I'd take him to another one.  Plus, it gave me an opportunity to see all the new buildings they've been touting about over the years..."

My mother may have thought this was a strange decision, but it ended up being a spectacular day!  For one, it gave Lewie a chance to be Lewie and to enjoy all the things that HE loves.  We rode on four different elevators, explored the various nooks and crannies of old and new buildings alike, and waved hello to all the young, excited students in the hallways.  (It was definitely very busy for a Friday afternoon.)

However, then there were the unexpected events that made the day even better.  When visiting their new gym, Lewie showed interest in one of the large coach buses used to shuttle around athletes.  The driver actually let him sit behind the steering wheel and press buttons, like making the door open and close.  Then we had a chance to visit their brand new campus center, the Linda E. McMahon Commons.  Little did we know, that yesterday was the actual dedication ceremony and grand opening of the building.  Lewie had a chance to see their state-of-the-art dining hall, and since everything is brand new and just on display, he was allowed to go inside their "kitchen" area and pretend like he owned his very own restaurant.  "This is my restaurant," he touted as he pretended to work as a busy chef.

Finally, after hours of exploration, Lewie became tired and didn't want to walk back to the car.  "Carry me Mommy," he pleaded.  In days of the past, I would have welcomed his request, but now that he wears a size 5 toddler and weighs over 50 lbs., the thought of carrying him for a half a mile already made my back hurt.  Not even two minutes later, I saw a young student worker driving around on a golf cart.
     "Could you give us a ride back to our car?" I begged.
     "Sure, no problem," he answered as he shuttled us right to the door of our car.  This of course, was another extra special moment that Lewie couldn't stop talking about.

Yesterday, I'll admit it, was a super day!  It's been 15 years since I walked the SHU campus as a young, bright-eyed college student.  I couldn't help but to smile as I saw all the new young students full of hope, excitement, and dreams.  Their SHU campus is definitely a different experience from mine.   The SHU I knew looked more like a high school compared to the five-star luxury resort they have now.  Maybe one day Lewie will choose to go here too.  Time will only tell.
 

The SHU Campus with the Linda E. McMahon Commons in the background.

Lewie's new restaurant (i.e. the new SHU cafeteria)

Lewie playing in the kitchen.

The types of "electronic" menus college students have these days...

Five-star resort quality can even be found in the bathrooms.

The new Campus Chapel.  (Only a few years old.)

Inside the chapel...

The detail of these walls...

This is the detail up close and personal.

Inside the gym.  Lewie said, "Mommy look at all the toys in there.  Can I play too?"

Easter Fun and Surprises

Each new holiday brings special moments and surprises with my little boy.  Now that he's three, he's starting to understand concepts like the Easter Bunny, coloring eggs, and looking for an Easter basket.  This year we tried to form new traditions that will hopefully continue year after year.  For example, last weekend we had friends over for an Easter Egg Hunt.  It was fun watching four screaming kids scrambling for eggs (no pun intended) and chocolate.  They also squealed with delight at finding two "golden eggs," which meant they won a prize.  Lewie enjoyed looking for eggs too, but was pleasantly surprised to learn that his friends were willing to share with him.  (His friends are a few years older.)

This weekend, we took a short trip to visit the Easter Bunny, made some "bunny cookies," colored eggs, and searched for six eggs and a basket that the Easter Bunny left for us.  During this weekend, I learned a few new things:

1.  My little boy is way smarter than I thought.  Upon visiting the Easter Bunny, he looked at my husband and me and said, "Who's in the costume?"  Gulp.  Then when I read him a story about the Easter Bunny, he quizzed me again saying, "Does the Easter Bunny walk?  Does he talk?  Does he wear shirts?"  Double gulp.  It's as if he was telling me that he didn't believe for one second that there's a tall bunny that wears clothes and walks to the house to bring treats.  Needless to say, I wasn't prepared to give explanations.  I suppose the next thing he'll be asking me is how the Easter Bunny gets into the house.  What do I say?  I leave him a key, he magically appears, or he slides down the chimney like Santa?  Thankfully, our questions stopped at the Easter Bunny wearing shirts.  I explained to him that since the Easter Bunny is magical, he can do a lot of things like humans.  Triple gulp.

2.  My little boy is lazy.  Getting him to search for his eggs and his Easter Basket was like getting him to brush his teeth.  "Don't you want to find your Easter Basket?"  I begged.  "How about if Mommy helps you look for it?"  He looked at me and responded,  "You help me find it, Mommy?  Thank you."  He then proceeded to sit on the couch with the hope that Mommy would just magically bring it to him--it was way too much effort to try and find it.  Luckily, later in the afternoon while he was playing with his train table, he found it on his own.  Even then, the enthusiasm wasn't exactly what I had hoped it would be.  Oh well.

"I'm not so sure about sitting on your lap..."  (Like the Christmas tree in the background--lol.)

Lewie liked this display.

Another Easter Bunny display...

"Hey Mommy.  Now I'm the Easter Bunny."

My little boy and me.  (Like my bag?  It has Lewie's artwork on it.)

Choosing stickers for his colored eggs.

Enjoying some morning treats from his eggs.

Little Lewie took a picture of his egg with a dollar bill.  He was very excited to get money!  ("Now I can go to Aunty Re Re's house!" he said.  That's my little boy...saving money for travel and family!)

Exploring his Easter basket.

His favorite Easter basket item.  Now he can shave in the tub!

Yup, like I said, holidays bring happy memories and surprises.  This year, the surprise was on me.  There was more fun to be had with the Easter Egg Hunt and making cookies than with the Easter Bunny visit.  It'll be interesting to see what happens next year...

Shooting Stars

Sometime over the last few weeks my little boy has become obsessed with wanting to see a shooting star.  This obsession magnified during our very warm week here in CT because we were actually able to stay outside at night and look at the stars without feeling the least bit chilly.

Unfortunately, in our neck of the woods, we don't have the ability to see a lot of stars.  We can point out the North Star and the big and little dipper on most nights, but we don't actually have the darkness or clarity to see the stars beyond that, much less shooting stars.  Having traveled to places like Lake Tahoe, I know the difference.  When my husband and I went there in 2005, we spent over an hour one night looking at the sky and were amazed to see not one, but many shooting stars.  I, personally, counted up to eleven that night!

As my little boy looked up at the sky each night last week with anticipated wonder, I desperately wanted to make something happen.  After all, how can I keep his fascination with shooting stars alive if he can't actually see one?  My first thought was to lie; you know...make up a harmless fib and tell him that if the stars appeared to be twinkling, they were "shooting stars."  Okay, well that thought only lasted 10 seconds.  He'd eventually learn the difference and end up feeling disappointed.

So, after some thought and a little research, I decided to take Lewie to a small science museum near us that has a planetarium.  In the early afternoon, they have a show reserved for smaller children (age 7 and under) called "The Little Star that Could"--surely, he'd be able to see a shooting star there!

Lewie's first visit to a Planetarium.

Pretending he's driving a rocket ship before the big show.

"The Little Star that Could" did not disappoint.  Not only did Lewie get to see some shooting stars, but he actually got to pretend like he was one as "the little star" soared through space to see if he could find himself a planet.  In the end, "The Little Star that Could" actually turned out to be the sun all along.  (Sorry if I'm ruining the ending for you...)

Now that the chillier temperatures have returned to CT, Lewie is not spending his time looking at the night sky, but I'm sure his little hobby will return once summer is upon us!  For our next trip, we may have to go camping :)

"I Don't Want to..."

Almost a year ago, I decided to write a post about Lewie's "no phase."  Every kid has it, though I believe it comes with varying degrees.  The "no phase" didn't last too long, thankfully, but a new phase has creeped right in...  Instead of saying "no" to everything, my little boy has expanded his expression of resistance to the simple phrase "I don't want to..."

I hear "I don't want to..." about three or four times per day on good days.  On bad days, my little boy will say it non-stop.  Just today, I've been told the following:
     "I don't want to watch Calliou.  I want to watch Scooby Doo."
     "I don't want to get dressed upstairs.  I want to get dressed downstairs."
     "I don't want to go shopping."
     "I don't want to go potty."
     "I don't want (the traffic light) to be green.  I want it to be red."

The list can go on and on...  Finally, if this isn't enough, my little boy likes to barter with me too.  "Give me two minutes" is one of his favorite responses when he doesn't want to do something--take a bath, go potty, leave for preschool, etc. etc.  At first, I'd actually give him the two minutes, until I realized there's no sincerity behind the comment.  The two minutes would just become four minutes, to one hour, to just about never if it were up to him.  "Two minutes" in his vocabulary means very simply....I don't want to...all over again.

What do you do when your little one is being resistant?