Our Week of “Firsts”

We have had three big “firsts” around here this week.

The first, first was Ryan’s first day of preschool on Tuesday.  He woke up early with Joe, and when I got downstairs to him, I told him today was the day he got to go to school!  He smiled and said, “Oh yes, and I’m ready to go!”  How’s that for enthusiasm?  Here is a picture of him ready to go, right before we left.  (He loves his blue lunch box- and he is smiling not crying)  🙂

He was very excited as I dropped him off.  We were pleased to find out that another little friend that he has in his music class, was also in Ryan’s class.  As the parents were leaving, Ryan realized that I would be leaving too.  I asked him if he was ready for me to leave, and he said yes. 

Then he got his little stressed out look on his face, and came up to me, and gave me a long hug.  I knew my little guy was trying so hard to be a big boy!  I asked him again if he was ready for me to leave.  He nodded again, and said yes.  So Cole and I left.  Surprisingly, I was fine- I know he was going to have fun, and be well taken care of. 

Cole and I ran errands, and had a productive morning.  We picked Ryan up at 12:30, and his class was eating lunch outside.  Ryan saw me and said, “Hi Mom!  We’re just eating some lunch here!”  I asked him if he had fun and he said, “Yes, and I didn’t even cry!”  That got a laugh from his teachers.  As we were leaving, Ryan gave one of his teachers a hug, so I figured he bonded well with her.

It was kind of weird driving home, and asking Ryan what he did.  For the first time in his life, I do not know what he did for a large period of time, and have to rely on his version of what he did.  He told me the teachers played a game with him, and he got to play in the sandbox.  He also made a name tag with farm stickers on the front, and his hand-print, with the date of his first day of school on the back.  Here is a picture of his first art project from school:

Later in the day, he started citing a rhyme that I have never heard before.  He told me he learned it at preschool.  He also started walking like a duck, which he has never done before, so it will be interesting to see these next few weeks what new and exciting things he does.  I have to say, that his first day, couldn’t have gone better.  He wants to go back next week.  Yea!

Our second first, was my baby, got his first haircut!  I have been hesitant to cut it, because for some reason, it seems like once he gets his first haircut, that will make him into a little boy, not a baby anymore.  I also love the fact that he had curls in the back of his head.  He looked so cute.

Tuesday morning though, his hair was matted and it was hard to comb through, even though his hair had just been washed last night.  Plus, there was hair in his ears.  It was just getting to dang long.  He was starting to look like a little dog that needed to be groomed, instead of a cute baby boy.  🙂  So here are the “before” pictures I took of his hair Tuesday morning: (the little cut on his chin, is the result of a fall on the cement last night at the park)

               

After Joe got home from work, we took him to get his first haircut:

                  

He fussed and had a few tears, but no major screaming fest (unlike his older brother, who until recently, would rather give up Mac & Cheese -his favorite food-, then have his hair cut).  It went well, and his stylist even gave some of his locks in an envelope.  Here is the finished result!

                  

I am very happy with how his hair turned out: he still looks somewhat like a baby (to me, anyway,) and the stylist kept some curl in the back.  I tried to get a picture of the back of his head, but he would not cooperate!

Now for my shameless plug: if you like Cole’s shirt that he is wearing in the “after” pictures, it says, “What Happens At Grandma’s Stays At Grandma’s,” it is available in my on-line store, Little Pumpkin Sweet Pea Designs.

Cole even let Ryan play barber last night and comb his hair in the tub, and as it was drying.  Ryan was combing it, and pretending to cut it.  Cole was laughing, so maybe he’ll actually like getting his hair cut.  I can hope at least!

Finally, the third first, is I started my first day at my new job on Wednesday.  As I wrote in a previous post, I was offered a part time job, one day a week for now.  It is at an accounting firm and I am doing bookkeeping and business management. 

My first day went great, after I got over my nerves.  It has been almost seven years since I started a “formal” job!  The owner is really nice, and I will be working directly with her.  I think I am really going to learn a lot from her.  The other women in the office were really nice and helpful as well, and I know I’ll enjoy working there a lot. 

Joe’s parents have graciously offered to watch Ryan and and Cole, while I am at work, and Grandma said everything went well there too.  She said Cole only cried once, when she was trying to get him to sleep.  When I arrived to pick them up, Cole smiled at me from the door, and then turned around to go back and play! 

This was the longest we have ever been away from each other since he was born, and he just trotted off, like he had important things to get to.  I nursed him for a few minutes, and then he slid off my lap, and immediately went back to sit on Grandma’s lap.    I guess my ‘baby’ is becoming a little boy.  I am very happy though, he did so well, had fun, and obviously bonded with Grandma.  🙂

Today, Ryan said he wanted to go back to Grandma’s “all day,” so he enjoyed himself too.

All and all, our “firsts” involved change and some nerves,  but we all got through them, and are looking forward as these new changes, mesh into our lives in the upcoming months.