Ahead of the Game

Summer break is officially over.  I must say that this has been one of the best summers yet, especially now that Jackson can walk, run, and climb with just a little bit of help.  As he is much more adventurous now, every day was entertaining and full of new experiences.  Jackson also reminded me to get as much as I can out of each day and try to fill every minute with a love of life.  Not all of these moments may have been peachy-keen, but whatever emotion Jackson was feeling, he felt it and expressed it with his whole heart.

With these lovely, magical memories fresh in my mind, and the new school year beginning this week, I know that I want to--and need to--make the most of my time at home with Jackson.  Therefore, I have mapped out ways to make this transition from summer to school year as smooth as possible.

The first thing I did was only work on planning and create resources while Jackson was napping or at night when he went to bed.  This isn't to say that I worked every night this summer, but I did work a lot to get as much done for this year to free-up my nights and weekends.  Thankfully, I am teaching the grade (year group in the U.K.) for the second year in a row.  This is the first time that I have been able to do this and it is saving me a lot of planning time that I probably would have needed had I been moved to a new class.

Another way I prepared for this school year was I made cleaning part of my daily routine and didn't procrastinate so much with the household chores.  I loathe cleaning; but by just doing a little dusting or vacuuming here and there every day, I could see it adding up by the end of each week to really pay off and keep my house looking spick-and-span.  I used to wait until the weekend to do everything and I ended up having way too much to do.  Hopefully, I can keep going with this new routine when I start back to work.

The last idea I had for working ahead was to lay-out the outfits for Jackson and myself every evening to make sure everything is pressed and complete.  This will save me a lot of time in the mornings and any episodes of panic.  I had visions of doing this in the past and it never panned-out, but hopefully I can make it part of the daily schedule and my motivation for more family time will override my procrastinating tendencies.

In doing all of these little 'life hacks,' I am hoping to of course maximise my time with my family when I am at home; but, these should also have a knock-on effect of making me more patient, more ready for any incidents that come our way (see autumn 2016's blogs to see how abysmal things got for us), and more available for visits with friends.  I think this is going to be a good year.

Any other time-saving tips that you have would be much appreciated!  Feel free to add your ideas in the comments below.

Playing at KidzCove in Maghull with his pal, Ralph

They looked so cool that Thora and I decided that we are going to be 'momagers' for their boy band

Loving the wind through his hair

Catching some air on this really slippery slide

At the last minute, deciding to throw himself forward and go head-first down the slide

A gorgeous day at Hesketh Park

Running up and down the hill--and stumbling over every tree root!  He manages to catch his balance ninety-nine percent of the time.

Putting on a show--it must be a Shakespearean drama or tragedy this time

Getting to play on the 'big kid' toys.  We did go to the park with his little friend, Penny, but they were rarely in the same place at the same time for a photo.  These toddlers are really fast!

Finally riding the 'choo choo' and sitting in his own seat

Playing with his pal, Ethan, at his family's barbecue today

Developmental updates:  Jackson's new words this week were 'bucket,' 'good boy,' and 'cake.'  He got to experience what life will be like in the 2-3 Year-Old class this week at his nursery.  He only went in from Tuesday to Thursday while I set-up my classroom, but for an hour all of those days, he got to play with the 'big kids.'  When I picked him up on Thursday, he was having so much fun pushing around a Little Tikes Cozy Coupe that when he saw me, he kept playing.  (That was a first.)  I am really excited for him to move on to the bigger classroom where he will have more space, bigger toys, and older children to challenge him.  In some of the photos, you may notice a significant mark on Jackson's nose.  He had a big fall on our concrete patio last Sunday and scraped his nose and upper lip.  He also grazed his forehead, but that didn't leave a mark.  There is still a remnant of a scab today, but he is recovering nicely and luckily, there was no permanent damage done.

If you see Sammie Miles Davis, Jr. and Bella, give them my love.

Rays of Sunshine

The journey home from Ohio went perfectly.  I had this 'ebb and flow' theory where I thought that our journey to Ohio was the worst that it possibly could have gone, so to balance the world back, the flight home would go really well.  My theory worked and Jackson slept for both legs of the flight and played extremely nicely during the six-hour layover.  We didn't get fast-tracked through any security lines or customs, but we didn't need to since he was being the All-American/English dream child that we know he can be.

It took us awhile to adjust to the jet lag.  The first day, Jackson slept for 17 hours.  I couldn't believe it!  For both of us, the first four days back, neither of us woke up before 11:30 A.M.  Lee was back on schedule really quickly because he had to go back to work.  If I had to return to work, then I'm sure I would have been able to shake the jet lag faster, but since I still had three weeks of summer break (school holidays in the U.K.), then I figured, what's the rush?

It has been really fun enjoying time in the sunshine with Jackson at the parks, shopping, eating at restaurants, and having play dates.  We went out and tried to do something different every day to keep our itinerary interesting.  Last Saturday, we ventured out as a family to the Southport Model Railway Village.  It was so much more exciting than it sounded!  I was pleasantly surprised at the meticulously manicured village that was the perfect size for toddlers.  The houses were about a foot-and-a-half to two feet tall and there were cars and people to adorn the village.  Also, the trains had functioning signals and it was fun to wait for the lights to turn green and the trains to "choo choo" on their way.  Although this village is in the centre of the esplanade, it is inside a walled area which blocks out the wind, sound, and any other distractions of the town centre.  Jackson was over the moon and we went around the village three times until he was ready for a snack and to move on to the park.

This past week, Jackson and I went to a few more local parks and shops, spent an afternoon in Formby, and had our friends Sally and Penny over for a visit.  Today, we travelled altogether to visit Lee's family and see his grandparents' new house.  A lot of people kept saying "it gets easier" as kids get older and I think that has been most evident over the last few days because Jackson is at the point where he can walk alongside me without running away, use playground equipment without much assistance, and feed himself while I eat at the same time.  He still has a mind of his own and needs to be taught what is acceptable behaviour at times, but overall, he is getting more responsible and sensible with each passing day.

Modelling at the model railway

Look!  A Choo-Choo!

Impressive attention to detail

Jackson was leading this adventure

The miniature trees and tiny lawns were a delightful surprise

Jackson loved the 'bawk bawk' the most

Enjoying his Tonka truck

Getting a running start down the hill at the park and giving me a heart attack

Walking on the small ridge at Formby park

Blowing bubbles and enjoying visiting his family in Willaston Village

Developmental updates:  Jackson's new word the past week was 'hurry.'  He can play much better alongside his peers because he is taking turns and sharing toys much more independently and reliably than he used to do.  Jackson started singing along with Baa, Baa Black Sheep, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, and Old MacDonald Had a Farm.  He mainly joins in on the rhyming words, but he will sing his own words in between.  His musicality is coming out more and more with his improvisational singing and dancing because he is making-up his own songs to sing and he creates matching dance moves, too.  Jackson learned how to climb up his ladder to the 'big slide' on his climbing frame in the backyard and it is really rewarding to see him using his play equipment independently.  While he is playing with his Fisher Price Little People, he is starting to create stories and pretend that they are talking to each other in his own language.  This week, Jackson started playing hiding games with us and with himself by hiding objects behind the curtain and asking, "Go?"  Then, quickly finding them and saying, "Here it is!"

If you see Sammie Miles Davis, Jr. and Bella, give them my love.