The First of Many Firsts

Today marked the first day of my first child's first day of preschool. It is the first of many first days of school that we'll have, but I think of all of them, this one will be the hardest. My baby is growing up and as excited as I am for him, it was a little bit hard for me to say goodbye. I put on my best brave Mommy face, gave him a kiss and a big hug and after lingering for the first few moments of their afternoon at the doorway (along with about 5 other parents), Jared and I left our little boy in the hands of another person. 

This is the first time we have truly entrusted him to someone else's care. Sure, we've left him in the church nursery - but we've always been in the other room, just a pager number away. And the kids have had overnight visits to Grandma and Grandpa's on numerous occasions - but it's my parents. I know them. I trust them. Not that I don't trust his new teacher - we met her last Wednesday and she seems wonderful! But it's different and I really can't put into words how my heart is feeling right now. I just know that I couldn't help but shed a few tears as I walked Shaela and Cohen back to the van to come home. My little boy is growing up!

All ready to go!

At his 'locker' in his new classroom!

Cohen's 5 Month Update

Yesterday marked the 5 month point for our youngest little munchkin. I still can't believe he's 5 months old already! Time goes by way too quickly by the time it's your third! I feel like not much has changed between four and five months. He did finally figure out how to roll from his tummy back onto his back, which has been lots of fun to watch! He is now a rolling machine and can also creep around a bit on his tummy already.

He isn't really close to sitting yet at all. He loves to stand and will play very contentedly in the exercauser for quite a while before he wants out. He loves watching his brother and sister and him and Shaela have quite the bond already. She sits with him more than Xavier does and Cohen just loves it. He always has big smiles for her.

For the past few weeks he's been waking up to eat at night again. Which has made for a tired mommy! It's crazy how quickly you get used to the extra sleep! Anyway...we decided that 5 months was a good time to start him on solids, so he had his first taste of rice cereal at suppertime last night. He didn't quite know what to do with the first few spoonfuls, but once he realized it was food, he ate it up! He kept grabbing my hand with the spoon and 'guiding' it into his mouth. It was pretty cute! We'll try again tonight and if he has no reaction by the end of the week then we'll try a different kind of cereal to start giving him some variety. I feel like now that we've started solids, the milestones are going to start coming fast and furious. Sitting, then crawling, then walking....and before you know it my baby will be a toddler! *Sigh*

September Long at Spruce Woods

A few years ago, dear friends of ours, Steve and Chantel, invited us to camp with them at Spruce Woods for the September Long weekend. I grew up camping there and was delighted to go! We had a blast - and have been making a tradition of it ever since. We missed last year, but this year we were there again....with a few hiccups along the way!

The first hiccup was that Steve and Chantel do not own a car right now. They planned to rent one for the weekend, but after realizing that our car would just be sitting here all weekend, we offered for them to borrow it to save them the cost of a rental. They were ready to agree, when we realized that neither of them drive standard. However, we worked it out that we could all leave at the same time and Jared would drive the car with Steve, while Chantel travelled with the kids and I in the van. First hiccup ironed out.

Second hiccup didn't pan out so well. We had booked one site for all of us to sleep in, but when we got to the campground, they told us that we were considered two family units and weren't allowed to all sleep in one stie. At least not in two separate tents. If we had had one tent, we could have done it - hmmm....money making scam here?!?! We thought so, but after a bit of a fuss and still no budging, we were forced to pick a second site. The problem with that was that it was the long weekend, so there weren't many left. We drove around and checked out the available ones and finally settled on an overflow site. A little more open than we would have liked, but it had a nice large tree for the kids to climb.

Once we paid for our new site, we finally got set up and then joined Steve and Chantel back at their site for supper. By this time it was getting quite late and rather dark. Which led to the third hiccup. We went to light our lantern so we could see to cook supper...and there was no mantle left in it. Oy vey! It was a very cold, very dark supper that night. By 10:00 pm we were ready for bed and we all crashed. At least, Jared and the kids crashed. I was FREEZING since it was about 3 degrees outside - and we were in a TENT! - yes, we are crazy! I was finally almost asleep when one of the people camping next door to us started snoring. Then Cohen woke up cold and hungry. I fed him but he wouldn't settle back down in his bed, so I had to snuggle him in with Jared and I. He proceeded to wake up another three times that night. The neighbor continued to snore the ENTIRE night! I finally got Cohen to sleep on his own bed at 7 am and slept until 9 when the other two kids woke up. I was exhausted!

Saturday went well, though, depsite our terrible night the night before. The weather was warm, but not super hot. We took the kids to the beach for a bit in the afternoon. Played on the play structure and in general, just lazed around. We picked up more mantles for our lantern so that evening we were able to enjoy smores around the campfire and we could actually see what we were doing! We bundled up a little more that night than we did the first night and I slept better, but Cohen was still awake 4 times in the night. I woke up Sunday morning ready to pack up and go home that afternoon....but I knew the older two - well, three really! - would be very disappointed if we did. So I stuck it out. Thankfully, Sunday night was a tad warmer - and by that I mean 6 degrees instead of 4 - and we also bundled Cohen in about 5 layers of clothes, so he was only up once that night. I was also warmer and so aside from being up that once, slept like a baby!

 I would love to say it was a great weekend - but I just can't! The company was great. We had lots of awesome conversations with Steve and Chantel. The food was spectacular. But the weather was really, really cold which put a major damper on my weekend. I like it hot!!! I did have fun, though and am definitely looking forward to next year. I'm just praying it's a bit warmer next time!!!

Enjoying some nice cold milk.

Chopping wood for the fire.

 The very large tree that Xavier had a BLAST climbing! He fell out twice, but thankfully not onto the picnic table, and with no major injuries.

Shaela was such a great helper all weekend! Here she is helping Chantel get supper ready on Sunday night.

 Mmmmm....steak and potatoes over the fire!

Enjoying the fire Sunday night. Can you tell they're Folkerts'??? They both refused to put pants on despite the fact that it was about 7 degrees outside!

 A campfire isn't a campfire without smores!

 Our nice huge {WARM} fire on Sunday night.

I Don't Feel Ready For This

Today marks exactly one week away from when we take Xavier to go meet his preschool teacher. When Jared and I were first dating/engaged we talked about whether or not we would send our kids to preschool. It wasn't something I was super keen on - mainly because in most areas you have to pay for it. Then we moved to downtown Winnipeg and learned that they offer free preschool in our division. So, the talk began about whether or not to send him and after much debate we decided that he would really enjoy it so we should take advantage of it.

Now that the time is drawing near for him to actually go, I am feeling very nervous about it. Not because I don't think it will be good for him. I know he'll love it. He'll learn a ton, he'll make new friends. And I'm sure I will enjoy the peace and quiet of him not pestering Shaela for the few hours he's gone every day.

But on the other hand, I don't know that I'm ready to let him go. My baby boy is growing up so fast. I've been his sole care provider since he was first laid on my chest in the hospital and I don't know that I'm quite ready to let someone else get to spend their afternoons with him. He's never been to daycare - I used to run one of my own, so he has always been with me. I've left him in the church nursery every week....but it's not the same! I know he'll be fine. And I know I will too. But it's that sentimental part of me - which if you know me, you know is a big part! I'm a sap! - that's telling me it can't be time for this! My head knows it's a good thing, but my heart just isn't quite ready to let go.

*Sigh* Dear Kleenex manufacturers: can you please have a very large box delivered to my door for September 13th? I'm going to need it.