Two Big Days

Day One: Last Day of Preschool / First Day as a Kindergartner
We had a wonderful, exciting, emotional day on Wednesday as we celebrated the last day of school for Oliver -- and his official move forward to kindergarten. The day began with chocolate chip pancakes (guess who picked that!) and a few before school photos:

At 11:00 Tony, Oma, Opa (who took time from work to come for the party) and I had the opportunity to spend some time with Oliver and his class as they celebrated the year. The kids sang songs....during which I may have been seen wiping tears away as the kids sang about how ready they were for kindergarten. We saw a fun slide show and then each child received a certificate from their teachers. 

We ended the party with snacks and a photo booth. I think this is my new favorite picture:

Oma and Opa got in on the fun too:

The day of celebration continued with lunch at one of Oliver's favorite places, a trip to the toy store, play time at the park with his classmates, ice cream at our local ice cream shop, play time with the neighbors, another favorite pick for dinner and a late bedtime. Whew, what a day!

Day Two: The Not-So-Fun Way to Kick Off Summer Break
After a day filled with fun, all sorts of favorite foods and treats, and a late bedtime, Day Two was a day we were all dreading. Thursday morning found Oliver wide awake at 5 am, wanting to open a toy we bought the day before. The toy was meant to help provide distraction from the fact that Oliver wasn't going to be allowed to eat or drink and that we would be heading to the hospital for an afternoon tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. He was a trooper all morning, not once complaining about being hungry and not even whining.

We arrived at the hospital around noon and were brought back to his room at about 12:30. He and Otter both got into their special jammies and got to watch a little TV while we waited for the doctor. We were so impressed with Oliver. He was calm, brave, loving and funny. 

Tony and I were with him when he feel asleep, then just had to sit. And wait. And wait. Finally after what felt like forever, the doctor came in to tell us that the surgery went well, that we had made a good decision in getting them removed, and that Oliver would be in once he had woken up in recovery. Then we waited and waited...and waited some more.

Finally, they brought in a disoriented and scared Oliver. They had given him some more medication in the recovery room, so he fell asleep pretty quickly. He probably slept for another hour before the nurse was able to get him to wake up some.

Once awake, we hung out for a while, waiting for his tummy to settle. We finally headed for home just before 7:00. Oliver was an awesome wheelchair driver and was such a sweet patient. The nurse was amazing as well. I don't think we could have asked for a better experience.

Oliver slept on the way home and kept sleeping on the couch once we got home. We finally work him up just before 10:00 so we could give him his medication. We were up until about midnight, then back up again at 5:30 this morning. Recovery so far is about what you'd expect -- painful but at least he isn't too sick from the anesthesia. He's a stubborn one when it comes to drinking or eating or enjoying cold treats when he has a sore throat, so keeping him hydrated is going to be tough. But after two big days, looks like a lot of couch time is in our near future.

I hope your summer vacations are off to a better start! Soon enough Oliver will be enjoying his -- and hopefully will be feeling better overall once he's fully healed. 

Two More Months!

Scene: Sunday morning, snuggled in bed. Tony is fast asleep, Oliver is waking.

Me: Good morning sweetie. Guess what today is?
Oliver: What?
Me: It's a new month today -- it's now May.
Oliver: (excited) Two more months!
Me: What are you talking about?
Oliver: Two more months until my birthday! I want a Halloween party...

Oh man. Can you tell someone is (and has been) excited for their upcoming birthday...that is still more than two months away!? He's been asking for a Halloween themed birthday party for a couple of months now. Something spooky. He wants to be sure he can bob for apples (like in Curious George's Boofest cartoon), too. What a kid!

Well, it's been over a month since I last posted. Naturally a lot has happened since then. Oliver continues to grow so fast we can barely keep up (and keep him in clothes that fit properly...really looking forward to shorts season). He's enjoying the Saturday morning Korean Heritage Program (we call it Korea School), swimming and Taekwondo. We celebrated his last year as a Cubbie in his AWANA program at church -- Oliver is beyond excited at being a Spark next year! We've been on his first school field trip, seen the play "I Love You, Stinky Face" and enjoyed our first visit to the local ice cream shop. 

For those itching to see a few pictures, here you go!

Two handsome guys Easter morning

We went to our local rec center to see an ice show called "Frozen." What we didn't realize: it was a series of recitals by local ice skating classes, not a true ice show.  Oliver lasted about 40 minutes, but we still had fun!

Silly boy in a tunnel at the playground

Oliver's first school field trip to Coon Rapids Dam was a success!

Every so often Tony and I get to do grown up things. Here is a selfie we sent Oliver while waiting for Mumford and Sons to take the stage. We had a great time!

After the play ended Oliver got a chance to see the characters. His favorite was the dinosaur.

Our local police station held an open house. Naturally the kids were quite curious about the jail and thought it was fun to go inside a cell. Praying he never winds up in a cell for any other reason! 

Cubbies award time!

One of the reasons for the delay in posting (beside the usual busy schedule and minimal personal computer time) is that I've been...struggling. Big time. Since at least August I have had far more down times than up (even though I know God doesn't want this for me, I know my life is blessed, my family is a blessing and Oliver brings a massive amount of joy!). 

For those of you who have known me for a long time, you know depression is something I've dealt with over the years. Using exercise and other tools, and occasionally seeking help when there's a specific issue, I've managed to come out on top.

This time around, I'm just worn out. The down times aren't usually fueled by a specific something. Rather it's a more general "failing across all aspects of my life" kind of thing. Not being the mother I want to be, the wife Tony deserves, the person God wishes me to be. Unsure of what I should be doing career wise. Making poor choices with my physical health (and not feeling well much of the time). Lacking conviction and motivation to make better choices, too. Often feeling exhausted, confused, unable to focus, short tempered...a ball of fun to be around, right?!

I don't have the fight in me to claw my way to the top, nor do I have the clarity to determine the right course or the motivation to get myself there. Some mornings I wake up feeling as though I've been hit by a truck...physically and emotionally. And for seemingly no reason. 

With that, I have finally decided to reach out for help. I pray that the person I meet with tonight is a good fit. I pray that she will have Godly insight into how I should move forward, even if she isn't herself a christian (I am not going through a christian counseling organization). I am thankful for the patience Tony has shown me, and the grace Oliver has given me. But I know it may still be awhile before I start to feel better. In the meantime, prayers are appreciated. And I will try to be better at posting the fun times we have with Oliver, as they are many.  

2029

Tonight we attended Kindergarten Orientation for Oliver's fall class. He was so excited to see his new school (perhaps in part because he will likely get to take the bus at least one way)! The four kindergarten teachers were there and we had the opportunity to meet two of them -- both were very nice. 

I know all parents have the "how did he get so old so fast" moments and this was certainly one for me. I had to hold back tears a number of times (entering the building, seeing 2029 on his packet, etc.). I am holding them back even now!

This ball of energy whose clothes keep getting too small, whose hair is crazy because he is apparently old enough to decide that he wants to grow it "long like Mommy's", who was throwing big words like elementary school around in the car on the way over...just yesterday it seems like we were meeting for the first time. Unable to verbally communicate. He still took bottles at night (and the morning) and was in diapers. And now he's getting ready to be a full time student. For the next 13 (and hopefully more) years. Oh my...the parenting journey continues!

This is my new school!!

A Day in the Life...

Otter is Oliver's special stuffed animal, the one who has gone on many car rides, visited school in Pajama day and is usually found next to Oliver in bed at night. On Friday Oliver decided that Otter should join me at the office while he had a special day with Daddy. Throughout the day I sent them updates on Oliver's day at work. When I got home, Oliver made sure that I had taken good care of Otter throughout the day, then snuggled Otter because he had missed him.

A Day in the Life of Otter at Work

We arrive early to the office, only one co-worker is in. Mom's "desk" is a bit cluttered...this isn't nearly as nice as her last place! But the co-worker is sweet and Mom does have two computer screens...I guess we should get to work.

Time to check out the lab. Mom didn't take a picture of her company's product in use in case there were any proprietary things that shouldn't be shared publicly, but I thought the whole space was super cool. Oliver would love it! Which reminds me...I sort of miss him.

Lunch time selfie! So glad for the break, it's been a busy morning.

This place has a snack table! Yum! Mom, can we can one of these at home??

I'm wiped out. What a day! I'm all bundled up and ready for the drive home. I can't wait to see Oliver!

---

Meanwhile: A Day in the Life of Oliver and Daddy

The morning started off with a little silly time before preschool. This photo is just for Mom!

I had a great day at school so Dad offered me my choice for lunch. Chuck E Cheese it is! So many rides. So much fun!

Look at me! Playing games with Dad, who is having a blast too. This.Is.The.Best.Ever!

Mom and Dad left after dinner for small group, but Sydney came over to play. She snapped this picture of my hanging out playing trucks. What a day! I love it when I get special time with Dad!