Eyeglasses

Peter got his first pair of glasses last Thursday evening. We were all chomping at the bit, wondering when they would come. At 4:30 the phone rang, and I though could it be Peter's glasses? Sure enough! I hollard at Peter, and all the kids scrambled to get shoes on and climbed into the car. We were hoping to be able to pick them up, in the middle of rush hour, before they closed at 5:30. Whew, we made it just in time, and Peter was thrilled!
So here is the story of Peter's eyes for those of you who are interested. Apparently, his eye doctor said he has a bit of a far-sited problem and a severe astigmatism. The poor little guy has never been able to see very well. Mike and I thought glasses would be revolutionary to Peter, but it's on the contrary. Peter tells me, "I can see good with the glasses, and I can see good without the glasses." Hmmm. I'm confused. I responded by telling him, "Well, you might get lazy eye if you don't wear the glasses, so wear them anyways." I think I scared him a little bit because he never takes them off. When I am cleaning the lenses he has his eyes closed so he won't get lazy eye. Oops, I hope I haven't scared the poor kid. More importantly, I hope we get everything resolved with these crazy glasses.

1st Haircuts

Yes, it finally happened... Kimball got his first haircut a couple weeks ago. Just before school started, everyone (except myself), got haircuts.
People I ran into were starting to refer to Kimball as a "she", and I realized it was partly because his hair was long enough to tuck behind his ear. I just love his strawberry blond hair though, so it was hard to get myself to take the first snip. I took a deep breath and plunged into the task. This was the first haircut I've ever given since I was 9 and did some awful numbers on my barbies' hair. Those images kept coming to mind as I kept cutting, so after a while, I just stopped. I have no idea if it is even or not, but I didn't want him ending up freakish like those poor dolls. Afterwards I decided it would be pretty hard to ruin as cute a face as this though.
It was also a first haircut for Elsie as well. Because her hair had never been cut, there were parts that were very uneven. I was worried I was going to cut off some of the curl in her hair, but it still has plenty of curl left in it, at least for now. It looks much nicer now, and she looks more grown-up to me.

Kindergarten

September 2nd was monumental in our home as it was the first day of Kindergarten for Peter. I can't believe it's already come to this! The first day wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I think it's because Elsie had the melt-down for me. Peter and I rode our bikes to school, and I put Elsie and Kimball in the Burley. Elsie saw Peter getting ready and thought she would wear her back-pack as well. I kept reminding her all morning that only Peter was going to school and she got to stay home with Mommy. When she tried to follow Peter into the school with back-pack and all, I realized the concept had not hit her. She cried and cried, and I comforted. Peter didn't even want me to walk him to his class - he was too big for that. There, not so bad.
The first day wasn't so bad, nor the second day either. On the third day the teacher had them meet in a reading lab before they went to the classroom. I was not fully aware of this, or where the lab was. In the confusion, I lost Peter. I got nervous, thinking he was lost in this big school and could be in any classroom. Finally I found him, and he was right where he needed to be, doing what he should. About half an hour after coming home, I burst into tears. I guess I finally realized how big Peter was, how independent he's getting, and how I need to let go a little bit. As a mother, I'm always preparing my kids for the future: kindergarten, 1st grade, teenage-hood, mission, college, marriage, etc. I guess a mother should be excited when these monumental markers come and your child succeeds. However, as the days fill up with chores, errands, and fun times, I forget the days are coming and going, and can never be relived. So, when Kindergarten came smacking me in the face, I was shocked. Could enough days have passed already for this? Could he really be ready? Have I taught him all I should? Yet, I'm proud of Peter and all that he has become in these past 5 years. He shares, he's thoughtful, he's obedient (usually), he's super inquisitive, and he's a great older brother. I couldn't ask for more. Motherhood can be so heart wrenching and so fulfilling all at the same time.