"Summer"

I keep hearing about all the extreme summer weather along the mid-Atlantic and other regions.

Here's the other extreme - a San Francisco "summer". Note the hats, coats, MITTENS, and leggings!

Jack's View of the World

Jack (and his Mom) are fortunate to be surrounded with friends who love him. Here's a view of Jack's world. 

I guess you can never be too loved...

...or too entertained!

Here's Web in Your Eye

Jack is currently obsessed with the classic superheroes -- Spiderman, Superman, Batman, even Wonder Woman.

When he saw this advertisement for the upcoming Spiderman movie, he was excited to throw webs and have his picture taken.

Shooting webs

Spiderman shooting webs at Jack shooting webs at Spiderman

Preschool Camp

Last day at Ladybugs with beloved teachers Maliya and Colleen

We were very sad to leave Jack's current daycare which both he and we loved. But as I explained it to Jack, it was time to graduate from Ladybugs and start his new school. In order to get him used to a new routine and make the transition to Preschool easier, we enrolled him in the Preschool Camp which is also held at the new school during the summer until the academic school year starts in September.

The school is two blocks from our house so we start with a walk each morning which is a fun ritual. Once he is signed in, we put away his lunch box and he goes out to play with the tricycles, basketball hoops, etc. What's nice is that the Camp's daily schedule is similar to the Preschool's schedule during the school year (free time, activity, nap, etc.)

First day at Camp

The camps are split into several themed sessions of two weeks each. Jack completed the first session, World Travelers, this week. The class made passports which were stamped daily and had a morning and afternoon activity related to a different country. They made Mexican maracas, Czech crowns, sampled pasta from Italy, learned about Indian elephants.

I knew that transferring to a new school would be a momentous change in routine so we made several trips to the school beforehand to peek through the gates and familiarize him with the location. I bought him a little backpack of his own and unveiled it on his first day. Before the first day of Camp, Jack had readily caught on to the excitement of going to his new school but was quite clingy and hesitant the first week. And I would be too - he didn't know any of the kids, where anything was located, what the schedule would be like, who the teachers are. Each day he quickly rebounded, participated in class, was social and happy at pickup time. Though, it was evident he was still adjusting because he became a little defiant at home. The second week was better and the dropoff became increasingly easier, so I think we are on our way.

Big Boy Bed

Before

Jack was starting to look pretty crowded in his crib each night with all his stuffed animals, little pillow, and three blankets.

This month, he started his first overnights at Tom's where he would be sleeping in a new bunkbed with the other little boy in Tom's new family.

Since he was going to be starting a new bed at Tom's anyway, I decided this was the time to transition him to a new big bed at our house too.

First, I bought a book and talked it up with Jack. I explained excitedly that he would have a new bunkbed at Daddy's house and then would come home to a Big Boy bed with Spiderman sheets at Mommy's house.

Next, I spent one long day with my friend, Linda, researching (and surprisingly, negotiating) beds at five different stores. I now know more about beds than I ever thought there was to know. Linda helped me disassemble the crib and bring it down two flights to the garage - lifesaver!

After

The day Jack came home from his first overnight at Tom's, he flew past my open arms and went straight for his room asking where his new Big Boy bed was.

And he's been loving it ever since!

CLICK HERE for a few more pictures.

Snuggling with Superman

Kiwi Crate

Being a boy, Jack loves to run and jump around. He literally runs from room to room - the downstairs neighbors have never said a thing, but I'm pretty sure they can hear someone running the length of the apartment every morning starting at 6:15am. We often hit the playground or some other physical activity to tucker Jack out.

Sometimes, though, it's fun to trade in the playground for some time at home. I recently signed up for a monthly subscription to Kiwi Crate which sends a monthly "crate" containing two craft activities. Each box has a theme and all the associated stuff that you need including simple directions.

We received the first box this week and it really exceeded my expectations. I'm a sucker for the details, the marketing and the packaging. Each box is about the size of a shoe box. When you open it, the contents are wrapped in tissue paper sealed with a sticker like a present. Get past the tissue and the box is split into two compartments, each containing a little how-to booklet and everything you need for that activity. I was impressed with the quality of the materials and the details -- like a "zip line" which could have easily just been a piece of thick plastic rope, but this was a thick plastic line with sparkles inside. Or the heavy gauge paper they include for everything from the crafts to the instructions.

This month's theme was Bugs. The first activity contained those dehydrated sponges that you put in water and they swell up. There were a dozen small sponges that were shaped like bugs -- we had fun putting them in water and watching them grow. Included were 3 tempera paints, a paintbrush, a pencil, and 3 large pieces of thick paper with leaves and flowers on them to use as blank canvasses on which to stamp your bugs. The second activity was even cooler. Enclosed was a plastic bottle, translucent stickers, glowsticks, the sparkly rope, precut bug wings and feet made from vellum (there are those details again that I love!), googly eye stickers, and a cork. Decorate the bottle with the translucent stickers and cutouts, drop a glowstick inside, place the eyes on the cork, and you have yourself the most awesome firefly that glows from within. Now string up the firefly and he can "fly" back and forth on the rope like a zip line.

Firelfly zipping along

As if that weren't enough, there were also several 5x7 cards each printed with a picture of a different bug and fun facts that were educational and a conversation starter with your little one -- did you know a spider is not really a insect? Jack doesn't yet have the attention span to actually go through the cards in depth, but I found them fascinating.

We can't wait till next month.

Mother's Day

Jack and I celebrated an early Mother's Day at his daycare/preschool on the preceding Friday. All the Moms were invited to a Mad Hatter's Tea Party which was very sweet. The kids painted and decorated grocery bags to make their Mad Hats. There was a Tea setup on the kids' low craft table that was decorated with a tablecloth and flowers and china and scones and fruit. The little table was surrounded by their tiny chairs where the Moms gathered, straddling tea and strawberries on their knees. When it was time, the teacher rang a bell and we all gathered in a circle. Each kid was called up to get their present and flower which they proudly presented to their Moms with a well rehearsed "Happy Mother's Day!"

CLICK HERE for more pictures of our Mother's Day Mad Hatter's Tea.

Jack in the Mad Hat with his gift & flowers for Mom

Jack's turn to give Mom the flowers and gift