Team Sanborn

Team Sanborn

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Friday was the last day!

Okay, so this post is a day (scratch that, it's now past midnight- 2 days) late. Friday we had our last day at "Basha Bear Cubs". That's the day care center the kids have been going to for the last 5 months. I was dreading taking them for the 3 months we knew we would have to take them after our beloved Miss Alyssa resigned. The time has flown by, but you have no idea (unless you have done it) how much of a refief it was to walk out of that hallway with my babies for the last time.
They made it through the first experience "I never wanted them to have" (other expereinces include but are not limited to broken bones, broken hearts, and all of jr. high). I grieved over sending them, trust me, if I wasn't a contracted employee it never would have happened. I would have quit as soon as Miss Alyssa did, but I wanted to finish well at my job. The decision to stay home was made into a no brainer when I saw the change in my kids as they attended day care for the first (and last) time. The cost involved was also a rude awakening for sure!!
I have 2 kinds of kiddos in my life and one is the "survive anything and let it roll off her back" kind. Day care didn't phase her! Even when another 3 year old called her a b*#$@ on the play ground. Even when another kiddo said "your hair is too ugly, you can't play with me". And the last straw (just this week), "EVERYONE has to have a boyfriend mom, Amelia said". Cut to me with a paper bag breathing heavily into said paper bag!
Then I have the other kind of kiddo. The kind who is "institutionally sensitive" (it's a real thing- look it up). The kid who picks up every bad habit in the room. The kid who cries every Sunday because "I no wanna go Basha Gear Gubs". The kid who gets sent to time out because someone called him a baby for crying when he missed me (okay, the time out was for practically choking out the girl that called him a baby). The kid who said "mommy, I stay you all day all time now? No more Basha Gear Gubs? Yeah Mommy!!" I know right- rip your heart out!!!
So you can see why (even though it was a necessity) we are so glad to be done! Our teachers there did a great job (hense none of the "counseling worthy" moments came as a result of their actions). They tuly loved our kids and were kind. They just aren't me. And that is why we are so glad FRIDAY WAS OUR LAST DAY!!!

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Mama, Mommy and Mom

I have had a massive migraine all day- I took too many Excedrine Migraine pills and I was crazy "busy" today. By "busy", I mean I was tired and sick to my stomach sensitive to light and sound, but I couldn't rest because my heart rate was so high from the caffeine in the pills. Usually I would be THANKFUL for said caffeine, but today it was overload. So the migraine never went away and I had this buzzing feeling all day. So I did jobs I could do in as much quiet and darkness as possible. I rearranged the tupperware cabinet (disaster before, we'll see how it looks in 2 days), organized the kids medication cabinet (moved the enema's out hoping to never use them, see "poop jail" and "paroled from poop jail" and finished Annabelle's scrapbook (Andrews will be done next week). Don't be too proud of me, it's only to 15 months. At this rate I will be done with year four when they are 6-Boo!! And it's not FANTASTIC!!! It has fancy paper and adoption announcements and birthday invites and stuff, but nothing too out of this world. Looking through all of their baby pics it reminded me of how far they have come. God is good- All the time!

Before I pass out from all the "drugs" I have done today, let me get to my point... I have a friend who blogged about this (betterisonedayinhiscourts.blogspot.com), she's on my blog call. She is much more eloquent than I will be tonight- I promise you that! She blogged about the transition kids and women go through from mama to mommy to mom. Of course I bawled my eyes out- as I always do when I even think about my kids getting older! Annabelle calls me "mom" often, but also calls me "mama" and "mommy" so I'm okay with it. Mostly depends on her mood (not sassy-mama, sort of sassy-mommy, extra sassy- mom). Today, it was my baby boy (insert boo-hoo here). He always says my name twice, "Mommy can I have those fruit snacks please mommy?". Today he called me Mom. He called me Mom 23 times. You know I counted!! Never mommy, mama or anything else, just straight up mom- all day long. I even tried to give him a hint, "Mommy loves you, Mommy will help you, do you want MOMMY to do it?" But alas, MOM it was. I should probably just accept it and move on, but I'm not quite ready to stop being mommy. Here is to tomorrow when (hopefully) Mommy will make a comeback.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

May I take your order?

We have been wanting to add to our family for some time now. We would like to adopt from Ethiopia again, we are hoping $20,000 drops from the sky to make this possible! I started an adoption journal about a year ago. I write an entry in every once in a while so our baby #3 (or baby #3 and #4) will know how much we were praying for him or her (or both) while we were waiting. I did this for Andrew and Annabelle and it was very theraputic as we waited. With this adoption journal, I am feeling more anxious. I don't know why, I just am. I think I know our baby (or babies) are out there waiting and I have no way to get to him or her (or them). We have a few friends who are expecting and it has made our kids even more excited about getting another baby. They talk about it all the time- it's so cute! They tell everyone, "we are waiting for our baby, it's coming soon!" I hope so sweet Andrew and Annabelle!
Today's conversation was with Annabelle and it went like this:
A- Gosh mommy, I really want a baby.
M- I know honey, me too! We just have to be patient and wait on God's timing.
A- I thought God was picking if the baby would be a boy or girl. He gets to choose when the baby comes?
M- Yes honey. I know it's hard to wait (trust me cutie- I KNOW).
A- Jillian is having a baby, Olivia is having a baby. Mom- hurry up and order our baby!
If only it was that easy!!!

Friday, May 14, 2010

Annabelle's last day of school

Okay, if you've been paying attention, Annabelle isn't going to school right? Well, technically no... Andrew goes to preschool 3 days a week, they both go to Basha Bear Cubs (day care) 3 days a week. Annabelle started preschool at the beginning of the year, but it was too much to take them to two schools on the same days and... you get my drift! So Annabelle and I have been having "girl time" while Andrew is at school. We go grocery shopping, to Starbucks, do our chores, paint our nails, just the two of us. On Tuesday, her teacher Mrs.Johnston called and invited us to the end of the year party at preschool. I was a little nervous abou this because she hadn't seen the kids in so long. What if they didn't remember her, or what if she acted shy? But we went. It was so fun! She hugged all her friends (even the boys) and had a great time. The other moms even brought their end of the year projects back to school for Annabelle to put her handprint on. It was a pillow case with all the kids hand prints on it- Annabelle made one too. The teacher told us that everyday since Annabelle has been gone (almost 6 mos), when she takes attendance and says "Who are we missing", everyone says, "Annabelle". Of course I think my baby girl is pretty special but it doesn't hurt to hear it from someone else!

Monday, May 10, 2010

Parolled from Poop Jail

Today was the day!! Andrew busted out of Poop Jail!!! For the last 5 days he has been grounded to his room awaiting the arrival of well, the poop. Check my previous post if you have any questions. He pooped in his pants 2 times in 2 days in poop jail (more than 3 hours each time), so we took all his clothes off. I have to say he was quite a sight the last 2 nights, naked reading a book in bed, naked eating popcorn on the floor, naked playing with cars. The occasional naked time out for throwing something at his sister (who may have been taunting him, oh who am I kidding? who WAS taunting him). He fell asleep naked twice, for the whole night. We were determined to "win the power struggle" (BTW- I can't tell which of my kids is "the strong willed one"). So today, he went to poop jail after school, had a snack, played (only 1 hour) and eventually got tired of being in his room and pooped on the little potty. He ran out of his room yelling, "Mommy, I poop on potty", "Come see Mommy". Well I am embarrassed to say, that little brown grossness was the best thing I ever saw!!!! We jumped up and down, we yelled, we hugged!!!! We got to pick fruit snacks and a new pair of underwear! I realize this is only one time in what might be a long drawn out battle- BUT I'M TAKING THE VICTORY!!! Now the poop jail philosophy says he has to go back to poop jail tomorrow. Hopefully the result will be a consistent pooping everyday and soon without poop jail. For now, we are just happy for one evening with one poop.

PS- Today is the anniversary of our "Adoption Day". 3 years ago today we went to the court house in Mesa and declared our desire to be a forever family. It was a tear filled, amazing day. But the post commemorating this momentus occasion got moved down on the priority list by poop. Who would have thought?

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Poop Jail

Seriously, look it up!!! Andrew has been having a hard time um pooping lately! He was super constipated, a round of laxitives, ensuing diarrehea (sp) and back to constipated. Okay, now we are "regular". I know you're relieved! Now our problem is not using the toilet. I know- if you think this is too much information please skip this blog and come back in a few days.

The rest of you want to know about "poop jail".
For the last month, Andrew has been pooping in his pants. Every day between the hours of 4pm and 6pm he comes to me and says, "Mommy, I pooped in my pants". We have tried pull-ups, no underwear, no pants, m&m's, fruit snacks, movies, trips to the Disney Store. We have even promised an immediate trip to Disneyland. NOTHING IS WORKING!!! Nothing is bodily wrong with him... So we are trying a new approach. It's called "poop jail". It was reccommended by our pediatrician- so we feel it isn't child abuse if he suggested it!!! When I researched it, a few articles pointed out the same thing. If a child over the age of 4, and nothing is physically, neurologically, emotionally or developmentally wrong with him there is only one reason they are pooping in their pants. POWER STRUGGLE! If the child is able to urinate on his own (which he has been doing for a year and a half), he can poop on the potty but is choosing not to-hense the POWER STRUGGLE! Well, a different mommy may say, "oh, he'll be fine eventually"- not this mommy! Buckle your seatbelt Andrew!!! If it's a power stuggle- MOMMY WILL WIN!!! Maybe this is so important because I have encountered a 3rd grader who is not totally potty trained and I am convinced THAT WILL NOT BE MY CHILD!!!! So here goes. Right now, Andrew has been in his room (aka. poop jail) for almost 2 hours. He has had his dinner, in poop jail of course. He is not allowed out of his room until he poops on the potty. He has also pooped in his underwear twice. While the potty is in his room, not even 3 feet from where he has decided to poop in his pants. This is not pretty! I am not looking forward to the next few days of "poop jail", but hopefully it will be the means to an end. I will let you know how it goes Hopefully my Mother's Day present will be a big fat turd in the toilet!!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Sort of Wordless Wednesday

So I was looking for some cute pics to post for "Wordless Wednesday" and I came across these. Aren't these "precious"?



Monday, May 3, 2010

New School Year

One of the things I love about being a teacher is the "new start" every July (yes, we are modified year round, so the first student day is July 26 this year). I love buying a new lesson plan book, moving the furniture around in my classroom, the smell of freshly sharpened pencils, getting my roster and writing my "welcome" post cards. There is just something refreshing about always getting a new start. Now, my own kids are getting that "fresh start". Andrew and Annabelle will be starting Pre-K at the school I teach at in July. Well, I should say, used to teach at. After 11 years of "fresh starts", I am going to be experiencing all of it exclusively as a mom. I am so excited to get to stay home with my babies the last year before they go to school full time. I am beyond excited to only have to worry about 2 lunches instead of 25, 2 conferences instead of 25 (50 in my half day kinder days), 2 field trips, 2 back packs, 2 water bottles (a must for school when it starts in July). Just 2. I am so thankful for this opprotunity. I am also getting really nervous about leaving my chosen profession. I love teaching- LOVE TEACHING!! If there is anything I would want to do outside my home, it's teach. I love seeing the light in the kids eyes when they discover something new, I love saying the pledge and having a moment of silence each day. This is all I have know for 11 years. When I first started teaching (right before we got engaged), I thought this will be fun... 2 weeks off every 10 and summers off! AWESOME!! And then I had my first day at school. I took my class of 21 kindergarteners inside my classroom, waved good bye to thier parents and started sweating! I looked at those sweet tiny faces and felt the total weight of my responsibility. It was my job to make them smart, to protect their physical being as well as their hearts, to make sure they eat lunch and go to the bathroom... The list goes on. I WAS TERRIFIED!!!!! I eventually got into the swing of things, but every first day I had that same "pit in my stomach" feeling of immense responsibility. I settled in to teaching and knew, "this is where I belong". In 21 more school days, that will no longer be my responsibility. Sigh of relief- I THINK NOT!!! I now have an even more immense responsibility as a full time stay at home mom!!! YIKES!! I have those same moments with my kids all the time, "it's my job as your mommy to help you learn, tell you the truth, explain how a toilet works, tell you why you can't have candy for breakfast, and keep you safe and..." the list goes on right?! My life changed forever the day we got our referral. I had a feeling I didn't know exsisted. It's like love, fierce love, and pride, chest bursting pride, and anxiety, breathe in a paper bag aniety, and thankfulness, a what could I ever have done in my life to desserve this amazing blessing thankfulness. It's all summed up in the way we love our kids. The kind of love only a mommy can feel. That feeling has made me rethink what I have done with my life for the last 11 years. I now know-this is where I belong. With my sweet babies Andrew and Annabelle. I don't know how long I will get to be home, that's not important now. Even more than when I became a teacher, dedicating my life to my students and my profession, I know "this is where I belong".