Bakersfield 2 month update

Well, we have been here over two months now, and things are falling into place.  We have found a church we like, as well as connected with some great families there.  We have found a midwife at last, and sorted out all the details for Benny's Homebirth.  Justine (the midwife) came to our house today for my first prenatal check up (with her, that is).  She had to bring all four of her children, so it was fun for our kids to play a bit. She is amazing.  I have never felt so involved at my own prenatal check-up.  We finally found Kaleb and Penny a completely charming preschool, that they started attending this week.  Penny tells me, when I pick her up, "Mommy! I had so much fun! I learned about God!"...no joke. Kaleb has a boy in his class (YES!) and he told me about the American flag today.  They are so happy to get out of the house and socializing with peers their own age.  We found Penny a great dentist that has been taking care of her rotten mouth, and making it "Fritty" (pretty).  Penny falls under her spell, somehow, when she lays in that chair and doesn't move a muscle, except to say something ridiculously charming like, "I'm going to play dentist at home with my mom...can I borrow this?"(in regards to the dentist's tools).  Homeschooling has officially begun, as we spent the last two months trying to prepare effectively.  Gene (and the kids) helped by putting the Ikea schoolroom together.

 We met with our resource teacher a couple of weeks ago, and we started to get really excited as she told us about all the enrichment opportunities and sent us home with all of our books and curriculum.  Now, I am trying to find the magic rhythm, where I enjoy teaching, they enjoy learning, and both girls get an adequate amount of one on one time with me.  I am trying to find the balance between structure and expectations, and fun and flexibility.  So far, they seem to love it.  There is the occasional grumble, when things may not be quite the way they like them.  Kaia said to me at one point, "You know mom...Homeschooling is...Okay..but, it's just not really my style."  Gabby, on the night before the first day, asked me, "Can you dress like a teacher tomorrow?".  HA! That was a tall order, but I did my best.  They are really doing well with the workbox system I have set up for them.  It is truly cultivating an independent workflow for them. Kaleb is taking a little time getting used to things.  On days that he and Penny are home, I have name badges for her and him, that have a picture of where they are supposed to be, whether it be the Wii Room, the Kitchen or Kaleb's Room. The problem for Kaleb, is that it is very rarely the Schoolroom, where his mommy is.  He is having to learn to play independently and to stay where he is told.  He is fighting back with all he's got.  He and Penny are both going through a phase of autonomy of sorts. They are being destructive, messy, sneaky, and sassy.  Penny poured out an entire Costco size tub of Goldfish on the carpet in the Wii Room, 5 minutes after I brought it home.  She also emptied half a container of Hershey's syrup on the floor and mixed dog food in with it.  Both She and Kaleb have been experimenting with peeing in the house on the floor.Today Penny found a red pen while I was out for an hour (Gene was home, but working), and scribbled all over her face and on a bunch of walls.  It has just been never-ending with those two.  I do see a ray of hope, as they are spending more days at school.  I am convinced that after a few weeks, they will be back to their old selves.  Kaia and Gabby will be starting up with all the enrichment programs that Valley Oaks Charter has to offer, in the next couple of weeks.  They are excited to make friends; although they have truly become best friends with eachother eachother in the last two months, though they would never admit it. 

 

We are slowly getting the house in order.  We will be buying some furniture next week...some long awaited furniture.  We are getting a leather sectional, a TV, a kitchen table set, and barstools; sitting comfortably is something I will never take for granted again!  We are working hard to keep the house looking, feeling, and smelling the way it did when we moved in.  With our new schedule and chore system, more work is getting done, and less zoning out and making messes.  I'm holding the 4 little pigs much more accountable for their messes, than I ever have.  Gabby loves making money so she is always up for cleaning up someone else's mess and then collecting stars for her labor.  She likes to clean up an entire room, then tell me that she needs my help getting something down for her(or some other lie), and then screaming "SIKE!" when I walk in the room.  Kaia's pranks are a bit less thoughtful, as she has been known to unscrew the lightbulb next to your bedside, and place it under your pillow.  Kaia and Dad have been nerding out quite a bit lately.  They enjoy a good online pokemon battle, some Harry Potter reading at bedtime (with voices), and just recently started up with an online game called Spore.  Gene has been enjoying one on one time with his big girls.  He and Kaia saw Kung Fu Panda at the dollar theaters together.  He and Gabby went on a "Daddy Date" to Chucky Cheese. Penny has completely sworn off clothes.  She finds them all dreadfully cumbersome.  She loves the idea of a "fritty dwess" with "bloomuhs"(bloomers) or pants and a shirt, but once it is on, she is pulling and tugging and at her wits end.  She desperately wants to be a "Big Guill" and hates to wear a diaper.  Although, if I don't remind her, she will pee on the ground if she is in big girl wears or "Nayfid" (naked) as Kaleb calls it.  But, if she has a diaper on, (say I slip one on her when she is asleep at night) she will come tell me she has to go peepee, and never go in her diaper.  I have never had such a complex potty trainee.  She will take a dump right there in her drawers, and not skip a beat though. School, again, is helping though, because she goes with underwear on and they go potty a lot.  Kaleb is really excited about "his" number 4.  If he sees a number 4 anywhere (license plate, grocery store) he calls out, "Hey! That's older I am!".  His favorite books right now are Shopping with Mom(Critter book), Lama Lama Mad at Mama, and If You give a Moose a Muffin.

We have been enjoying our getaways up North, as they have been jam packed with trips to the zoo, Letherby's, visits with the Wongs, Chucky Cheese, Nature walks/swims with Uncle T, visits to the Farm with Uncle T, SunSplash with the Wongs, and just general lounging.