Growing Up

I'm sitting in a pediatric dental 3 day review course.

In Scottsdale, Arizona.

My son is home with my parents.

This is only the 2nd time I have left our home state without my little boy.  I thought I would be a basket case, but thankfully I really haven't been.  Tate was more than happy when I left on Thursday night...my sister came over after work to do the Thursday overnight!  I ran home from work to get changed, grab my suitcase and spend a little time with Tate. I got to make his dinner and read him a couple of stories before I had to head off to the airport.  I was worried that he might be sad or cry...I shouldn't have given it any thought.

I made my way to the airport, boarded the plane and promptly fell asleep!  Landed at 1030pm (AZ time, so 1230am my time) and finally laid my head on the pillow in my hotel room at 1245am.

It's been a long weekend of classes 7a-530p Friday and Saturday and today it's 7a-1230p.  I'm catching a flight around 330pm, so I won't get home until 930 or so :(.  Yep, Tate will be asleep, but I've promised to wake him up.  I've talked to him a couple of times, but he's had to be almost forced to get on the phone :)!  He's happy as a clam which makes me very content, not happy but content.  This time also my parents seem more content and sure of themselves with his care.  That last week of summer that he spent at Camp Grandmommy and Papa has made a huge difference in their relationship and his comfort with them and vice versa.  Not that he wasn't comfortable, but they seem much more confident in their ability to care for him especially with his food allergies/restrictions.

I haven't slept well which I think is the time change along with the not so comfortable bed. (I was very surprised seeing as how I'm staying at the Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa! The bed is definitely not the Heavenly bed you get at a Starwood Hotel).  I have enjoyed getting into bed alone :) and getting to watch television in said bed.  We didn't get to enjoy Scottsdale or even leave the property...10 hours in a lecture room surprisingly exhausts you.  The views are breathtaking though, and we've enjoyed a few drinks in the early evening outside...

I've always said that traveling for the single parent is more difficult than the married parent or single parent who is divorced/separated because in the latter instances the child doesn't really have to be out of their normal routine.  They get to stay in their own home (or room at the non-custodial parent).  The other parent has some 'semblance' of the normal schedule whereas for the child of the single parent their whole schedule gets disrupted...they have to leave their home, they stay with someone who doesn't know the ins and outs of their daily life and their routine is greatly disrupted.

Thankfully Lindsey spent the night with Tate at our home on Thursday to more easily get him off to school on Friday...they had a monsoon unfortunately, so apparently it was a scary commute and wet drop-off, but they did it!!!  My parents picked him up and took them back to their house for the weekend.  They traipsed back to our neck of the woods for soccer on Saturday and waited at our house for the downstairs a/c to be repaired...my parents rock!  And then they've been at my parents' for the rest of the weekend.  

Tate seems no worse for the wear.  He's grown up and more importantly I've grown up as a parent.  Now I don't plan on leaving him again any time soon.  But I'm thinking that now I'm more likely to go away for a fun girls' weekend without worrying so much or feeling as bad about going away to have fun.  

Growing up...who knew I had so much more to do?

Tate Meets His Hero - Lightning McQueen - Disneyland 2015/California Adventure-Cars Land

Tate absolutely LOVED Cars Land.  Loved it.  Loved it. Loved it.

His joy and excitement still make me smile, 2 months later.  He was so happy when we got there and he saw it.  If I could bottle up his joy I would be happy forever.

His exuberance and happiness are everything I wanted my child to experience his or her first time at Disney.  I will admit I always envisioned a little girl's face lighting up seeing Cinderella for the first time.  Well that dream/vision I had came in the form of my gorgeous son's face when he saw Lightning McQueen for the first time.

It was just him and his beloved McQueen.  I will never in all my days forget his face, his joy, his excitement, his love for his hero.  This was just the most perfect experience I could ever have envisioned for my sweet boy!!

 

He pulled out his coloring book to show Lightning all his drawings and pictures!!!  This was the REAL Lightning McQueen!!



 

 

 

 



First Day of First Grade

Monday, August 17, 2015 was Tate's first day of 1st Grade!

My little baby is in 1st Grade.

It's unfathomable to me that he's well into his elementary school years.  The transition to 1st grade hasn't been nearly as hard on me as kindergarten was.  However, I already loathe and fear 2nd grade.  It seems so much more like 'real school.'  1st graders are still tiny and sweet and innocent in my eyes. There's something about 2nd grade that just seems so much more mature.  I anticipate that being really hard for me.

But I'm not going to have my pain in advance.  I'm going to relish in my sweet, tiny, adorable 6 year old and 1st grade!

Sunday morning we went to church and during the church service they had a blessing of the backpacks!  The kids were invited to bring their backpacks and received a laminated card to attach to their backpacks reminding them that their church family is praying for them this school year.  Such a lovely thing to do!

I started a tradition last year of us going out to dinner to the restaurant of his choice the night before the first day of school.  I should amend that to his favorite meal in case he decides he'd like to stay home for dinner in the future.  As or right now though he's all about the French Fry Place still :).  So that's where we went for dinner!!

We talked and laughed and had a great time together.  I told him I was going to take him to school on Monday and walk him to his classroom.  He was shocked.  And I think even a little appalled. :)  He told me in all seriousness "But Mommy, you have to work.  You don't have to come in with me.  I know where the classroom is, remember?"  I told him in no uncertain terms :) that I would be walking in with him that day and every first day of school including college. 

Monday morning came bright and early!  Tate was so excited!  He got his special breakfast of Tiger Cheerios (Frosted Flakes) and a pancake with syrup (frozen waffle...normally he gets them plain), and he was dressed and playing in no time.

Here's my new 1st grader!

 We hopped in the car, and we were off!!  We walked in holding hands :). He ran into one of his BFFs almost immediately, and they were almost effervescent in their excitement.  I took them both in the classroom where we saw his teacher, Mrs. W, getting to know one of the new students (there are 5 new boys in 1st grade this year;  we lost 3 to moves from last year).  Poor H was just so shy, head down, didn't want to go out and play, didn't want to talk to the teacher, to me or the boys.  I encouraged Tate and S to ask H to go outside with them, but he wouldn't even look up at them.  Mrs. W offered to him that he stay inside with her, which is what he did.  Tate and S then made a beeline for the playground.  I barely got Tate to take a picture with me!

Smirking.

This got a smile because BFF S was in the pic!

I wandered to the playground to watch the boys for a bit.  Watching Tate run around with so much joy made me so happy!   

Absolute happiness!!

In keeping with our school tradition, I picked Tate up from school that afternoon!  (Carpool was a mess!  Lots of first timers and confusion!)

I then took him to get a scone as a surprise.  Our favorite place was closed...I had no idea they were closed on Mondays.  Thank goodness one of the docs at work had been going on and on about a snocone stand that was also in the vicinity.   I didn't remember the name of the place, but was able to remember enough about it to find it!  Oooo---weeeee were they yummy!  And it was a tiny little stand on a street corner!  No seating!  No nothing, so Tate and I just sat on the curb in the afternoon sun :)

Then my sweet boy and I came home and spent the evening together.

He was sound asleep almost before his head hit the pillow.

He's still my baby...

All curled up like he did as an infant.  He'll always be my baby.

Disneyland 2015 - Day 3 - Disneyland Park

Wednesday morning Tate and I were up bright and early!!!  Disneyland (from here on out called DL!) had extra magic hours for hotel guests!!  That meant we could get in an hour before the park opened for everyone else.  I definitely wanted to take advantage of this opportunity, however that meant getting to the park at 7am!  Tate was awake just after 6, so we made it our  mission to eat in our room (I had ordered groceries be delivered when we arrived on Tuesday...best decision ever...having water bottles to drink, good breakfast food to eat).  Then we got dressed and headed over to Disneyland!!!

We went through Downtown Disney to the front gate where we met up with hundreds of our fellow resort guests :).  Really and truly though it wasn't that crowded!

Then we were inside Disneyland!!  WooHoo!!  Tate and I were both giddy with excitement for a day of fun together!

I just love how they added in the 'magic spots'...Tinkerbell and the balloons!!  So whimsical!!!

We headed into the park and made a beeline for the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage!  Tate ended up loving the fact that we were going under water though he was a little concerned at first!  Surprisingly there was quite a wait at 7:30 in the morning.  From there we decided to test our driving skills at Autopia!  This ride was absolutely awesome, and we had a very minimal wait!!!  This made our early arrival worth it!!

It was then time for my favorite ride, a memory from my own childhood.  I love It's a Small World.  I just love it.  The music, the ride, the happiness.  It just resonates with me, always.  I'm so glad that Tate loves it too.  I hope as he grows up he realizes the true meaning of it and realizes it is indeed a very small world.  A world of hope and a world of love.  We are all the same.

It was warming up, but we were having a great time.  We walked around and made our way, quite by accident, to Mickey's ToonTown!  Oh my gosh!  I loved this part of the park.  I had no idea it was here.  It was so very cute and sweet and just quintessential Walt Disney Land.  Everything I wanted Disney to be!!!

We met Goofy right as we walked into ToonTown!

a

Mickey's car!

Goofy's Playhouse!!

Chip and Dale's tree!!

Then we ran into Pluto!!

 We rode Roger Rabbit's CarToon Spin!

 Inside Mickey's house...

I just loved this place!!

By now we were hungry, so we ventured to find some food.  This proved to be a bit more difficult than I had anticipated. I wanted to eat some Cajun food and had seen some yummy restaurants online.  Alas when we got there they couldn't accommodate Tate's allergies.  I was really surprised (and annoyed).  So we walked around Disney's French Quarter and look who we ran into!!!

Princess Tiana!!!

So I was actually glad we ended up leaving my original restaurant choice because otherwise we wouldn't have run into her!!!  You gotta see the only black princess when you're in Disneyland!!!

We ended up having lunch al fresco at the same restaurant we ate at on Tuesday night.  It was perfect.  And safe.  We even saw Jack Sparrow's ship sailing through the water!!

There were more rides that afternoon!!  We rode  The Jungle Cruise!  Our guide was a nut!

Then my child convinced me we needed to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.  

We had to take off our ears!! 

It actually was a whole lot of fun!  Tate wanted to ride again, but we didn't have another fast pass, and the line was forever long!  Had it not been so long I think we would have gone again!

We decided to take a calmer train ride and rode Walt Disney's Railroad around the entire park.

Our last ride at Disneyland was Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters!

Then it was time to mosey on back to our hotel.  As we meandered through the park we stopped to take time to smell the roses.  And see Mickey Mouse and Walt Disney! 

They asked for so many weird 'poses' but we gamely went along!!  :)

He's supposed to be holding me up!  LOL

I'm a damsel in distress and Tate's the strong hero!

It was an absolutely lovely day!

But the day wasn't over yet!  It was time to go relax at the hotel pool!

 He loved this slide!!!

A little light reading before dinner...

It was finally time for our early dinner.  We were off to Goofy's Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel!  Yum! Yum!  I love watching Tate's excitement when he meets the characters...his absolute joy and love of life!  Dinner was fantastic!

This one is Dale!!!

Here's Chip!

Tate's Mickey Pizza :)

Dinner with Goofy was a fabulous way to end our trip to Disneyland.  We walked back to our hotel at sunset....gorgeous!

There goes my happy boy!