Diaper Change

We've made a permanent switch in diapers. Everett has been wearing Huggies Pure and Natural.

These diapers use organic cotton and are hypoallergenic. Those two things are what interested me in them in the first place. I've now learned that the organic cotton is only used on the outer part of the diaper, not on what actually touches the baby. And the cotton isn't even certified. The lining also contains wood fibers. Ew.

We've made a very welcomed change to Comforts Touch of Nature. There's nothing "greener" than cloth diapering (which I'm not sure I could do since I'm a huge germaphobe but I'm open to the idea with the next baby) but in my opinion, these may be the next best thing. Other diapers along this line include the ones by Earth's Best, Tushies, 7th Generation, and the ones produced by Whole Foods. I went with Comforts Touch of Nature because they are available at my local grocery store (Fred Meyer, but they're sold at any Kroger store as well) and they're the cheapest. These diapers are chlorine free and have more biodegradable material to them opposed to the popular Huggies and Pampers brands. Instead of wood fibers, they use natural plant-based resources for the diaper's inner and outer linings. Also, they are manufactured with renewable materials, therefore, less energy used and friendlier to the environment.

Each time I go to change Everett's diaper now, I will have peace of mind that I've taken yet another step in "greener" living. {Now I've just got to take the next step in this aspect and consider cloth diapering!}

Bathtime Fun

Everett's really been enjoying his baths lately. He's always enjoyed them but lately, he's discovered that toots in the tub create bubbles and funny noises and that he can makes waves when he moves his arms and legs really fast. I hear a lot of giggles during bathtime these days. I love it. He's had a few squirt animals but didn't know how to use them until recently. He thinks it's hilarious to squirt the water out, especially when it hits Mama and Dada.

Happy boy in the tub!

{We've since gotten rid of the gigantic bottle of Johnson's Shampoo!}

New Favorite Products and "Greener" Living

I'm currently in the process of replacing things such as household cleaners, hair/body/hand products, bakeware, cookware, storage containers, Everett's cups and dishes...just to name a few.

I've realized in being more active about reading labels that many cleaners and body products are alcohol based. Not only can excess be toxic to your body but it can leave your skin dry and irritable. Since changing Everett's body/hair wash and lotions from Aveeno/Johnsons products to California Baby, his eczema and dry skin has improved. I recently purchased these for him:


They're offered in scents including calendula and lavender but his skin seems to be on the sensitive side so I stuck with the fragrance free products. California Baby products are natural and organic.

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I purchased Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Lavender Dish Soap. It's 98% plant derived (as are all her products) and includes Soap Bark Extract, which is nature's best degreaser; not to mention it smells calming too. Who doesn't need a little calm when you're doing a big pile of dishes, eh.

I replaced my kitchen hand soap with the Honeysuckle soap and can I say how delicious the smell is?! The smell remains on my hands for awhile and leaves the sink smelling just as good. All of Mrs. Meyer's products include essential oils. Best of all, my hands aren't dry from washing them so much. Before, my knuckles were so dry they were beginning to crack and bleed.

Her products are actually very affordable too! A set of 3 decent-sized products are only $9.99. {I want to get this Honeysuckle set!}



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I didn't realize how harmful BPA (Bisphenol A) is until most recently either. I did a little research and in short, it can affect the body's hormones and can lead to developmental disorders, cancerous tumors, and birth defects. While there's still a lot of research going on, past research and their findings was enough for me to convict myself to throw away all of Everett's dishes. Toys R Us has a BPA free version of his favorite Munchkin straw sippy cups that I just ordered online. Until I can find BPA free bowls and plates, he's been {carefully with a lot of adult supervision} using our small glass plates. My next step is to replace all of our tupperware with either stainless steel, Pyrex, or Corningware.

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Everett has always had about a 95% organic diet but within the past handful of months, I've converted Dale and I to the same. I've always thought that organic was extremely expensive but when it comes to produce, much of it is about the same, if not $0.50-$1.00 more. Other things are not as expensive either but things like peanut/almond butter, dairy products, and condiments can be. The other day at the store, I saw a jar of peanut butter for $9.99. Holy Moley. I stuck with the $5.00 organic jar. Ultimately, for me, it's peace of mind and taking action on things I can control, like reducing/eliminating the amount of toxins/pesticides my family consumes. It's worth all the extra money to me. I grew up on a farm where we raised goats, chickens, sheep and had about 1/2 acre for a garden so I somewhat grew up with the knowledge and background but even so, I tended to buy whatever was cheapest, which isn't necessarily always the best. You get what you pay for.

Dale used to give me a hard time and call me an "Asian Granola Girl" and didn't quite understand why I read labels and researched so much but once realizing such overlooked things like hotdogs having nitrate in them for example, he realized the amount of toxins we were putting into our bodies. Not only is it a health issue but it's saving and supporting local farmers and our environment. I would encourage you to take some time to read some labels and look up some of the hard-to-define ingredients. You'll be surprised at what the stuff exactly is. I feel like we owe it to ourselves and to the body that the Lord gave us.

Christmas Recap

Well, Christmas 2011 came and went, didn't it?! Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were both tornado of days. We were going here and there and every direction. It was so wonderful seeing all my relatives that I see only on holidays and other specials occasions. We fellowshipped and praised God and celebrated the birth of our Jesus Christ. We sat in a circle and sang Christmas songs and had a dysfunctional but yet memorial time trying to take a family photo with 25 people by a small Christmas Tree. There were more takes than I can remember and everyone was getting impatient, sweaty, and complainy. The memory puts a big smile on my face.

Christmas morning, we surprised Everett with a train table. {Thanks Anika for the information on the table!} I was mostly excited to see the look on his face when he first saw it.

He absolutely loved it!

Everett got to meet his cousin, Toni for the first time. They seemed to really enjoy their time together and Everett was a bit fascinated with him. It was adorable. Toni wanted him to play but Everett was mostly interested in just watching him.

I enjoyed doing some holiday baking as well. I made some Crunchy Peanut Butter Balls and Breakfast Cupcakes. {I received the Breakfast Cupcake recipe from Emily's Blog.}

While Everett is usually a very cuddly boy, I wasn't allowed many hugs and kisses during Christmas time, as he was so consumed with everything going on around him. I did manage to hold him so I could get a quick photo though.

It was all so much fun but left us a bit tired.



Luke 2:1-20.

Lining Things Up

I've been meaning to blog about this for awhile now and finally getting to it.

I don't know if it's the age but a fellow mom blogger, Rene, posted photos of her son doing the same thing: lining toys up. Everett loves to meticulously line anything up. Toys, book, shoes, pretty much anything.

He started lining his cars up on the window sill when we lived in Oregon City this past Summer. It was the very first thing he did after breakfast.

He lined his monster trucks up in wheelies.

I came into my bedroom this evening and saw that he had removed by books off my night stand and lined them up.

I think it's awfully cute how they can have such organized, meticulous behavior at this young age!

Christmas Tree

We finally put up the tree yesterday. Yes, we were a little late this year. I typically like putting it up the day after Thanksgiving but we've been trying to take things slowly and calmly around here with my recent health issues. {I'll post an update to that here soon.}

These photos are from my not-so-great camera phone...




We had the tree set up and decided to move it. Talk about difficulty moving a fully decorated tree! I don't think we could've done it without Everett's help though. He was so helpful holding that branch.

{The tree skirt was given to us by Dale's mom 2 years ago. It's almost 30 years old! The same one that was under each of Dale's Christmas trees growing up.}

Manners

The last few months, we have been working on enforcing basic manners. You know, "thank you", "please", "excuse me", and covering his mouth when he coughs...things like that. He's caught on real well with the covering of his mouth when he coughs. It's important even with fake coughs too.




His grandma taught him to hold his arms up in the air when he coughs too and he's lately been confused on whether he should cover his mouth or put his arms up in the air. It's funny because he tries doing both at the same time and he looks like he's got a case of Tourettes. You'd have to see it to think it funny. Nonetheless, he's catching on to this manners stuff. I think he gonna grow up to be quite the polite, little boy.

Shower Filter

I've always had a dry, itchy, flaky scalp. I've never seen a doctor for it and have just dealt with it for most of my adult life. It's gotten worse the past few years. I've tried all kinds of dandruff shampoos, assuming it had to do with the hair products I used. Within the past year, my scalp has turned red and produced hive-like bumps after each hair wash.

I belong to the Crunchy Mamas group on Babycenter and someone suggested getting a filter for the shower. It removes dirt, chlorine, and odors from the water and is easily attached to the existing shower head. I just received the one I ordered from Bed Bath & Beyond today and am excited to see if it helps!

Randomness

• Everett had his 2nd birthday party this past Sunday. Here's a sneak peak photo. There will be a full blog post of his birthday to come! I'm working on collecting photos from everyone.

• Everett had his 2 year check-up this past Monday. Healthy as can be! He is 24 lbs and 35 inches tall. I don't know the validity in those measurements though. Dale went with the assistant to weigh Everett the first time and she came back and said he was 20 lbs. I told her there is no way he's 20 lbs. He was 20.5 lbs at 13 months. So, I went back with her and she got 24. He squirmed and cried the whole time so I'm doubting we got an accurate reading. Same with the height. He was 32.5 inches tall at 19 months and the assistant got 35 inches with him squirming this time around.

Admittedly, up until Monday night, we rocked Everett to sleep for naps and bedtime. Highly suggested by his pediatrician, we stopped cold turkey. We have been so pleasantly surprised at how well he has adjusted. We tried sleep training and tried to quit rocking him to sleep several times in the past and it lead to nights of him screaming/crying for up to 5 hours. We finally accepted the fact that he would eventually wean himself off. Nope. He became very dependent on it. Monday night, he cried for an hour and conked out. Last night and tonight was only 10 minutes. Same with naps- 10 minutes. He's getting more sleep now, as it took us up to 2 hours a night to "rock" him to sleep. I am SO proud of my little guy.

• I had an emergency visit to the ER Sunday night. I thought I was having a heart attack- chest pains and trouble breathing. My heart rate was nearing 200. Normal rate is 60-100. They did blood tests and an EKG and found nothing.

They gave me an IV of medication to slow my heart rate. Of course the nurse missed my vein and had to try a few times. It reminded me of when I was being prepared for my c-section. It took them 5 pokes to find my vein. I currently do not have insurance and I am currently praying that there will be an affordable way for me to have some further testing done.

• I've always wanted to try yoga. A friend and I signed up for a 7 week session starting the new year. I'm really looking forward to it.

Just a quick post to recap on some current events.

Facebook Break

I temporarily deactivated my Facebook account. It was a huge time suck for me and it was beginning to be more negative than positive in my life. I also have a lot of things going on (mostly dealing with some unfortunate things that happened all at once in a short period of time) so I'm refocusing and prioritizing my life.

I took a long break from blogging but because it's something I enjoy doing and have failed to do, it's one of those things I'm making more time for now.

I'll probably eventually reactivate my Facebook account but for now, I'm actually enjoying not having it. I only used the mobile version of it so I was on my phone more then I should've been and Everett absolutely hated when I was on my phone. He would start acting out because my attention wasn't directed towards him. He's also hit his Terrible Two's (and can I say that "Terrible" is an understatement!) so he's needing even more of my attention and direction.

Anyway, for those that were wondering (Anika!) about the disappearance of my account, that is why. I apologize for not mentioning it sooner. I've been meaning to. I do look forward to staying in touch with all you mommies through your blogs though!

Oral Hygiene

Everett brushes his teeth everyday. Meaning, he takes his toothbrush and gnaws on it. I have to replace his toothbrush every few weeks because he chews on it so hard the bristles flatten quickly.

I let him choose which color toothbrush he wants and he rinses it off before I put (fluoride free) toothpaste on it. He gnaws for about 5 minutes and that's what we call "brushing" our teeth. Ha.

I recently read in What to Expect The Toddler Years and they mentioned that parents should effectively be brushing their teeth. There is no way Everett will sit still and allow me to hold his mouth open while I brush.

I am a bit concerned that he isn't getting the oral care he needs. I know now is the time to take him in for a dental check up and honestly, I don't even see the point of taking him in since knowing my child, I do not foresee him sitting in the chair and allowing a person he doesn't know to touch his mouth, let alone clean his teeth. There are dentists out there specialized for children but I think even with the kid-friendly environment there, they don't stand a chance of seeing inside his mouth for a check up.

Have you taken your toddler to the dentist yet?

What is your teeth brushing routine that you have with your toddler?

Everett's 2nd Birthday

I have a two year old. I HAVE A TWO YEAR OLD. All I can say is that time flies. I am still trying to swallow the fact that I no longer have a baby but a toddler who is becoming very independent, opinionated, bossy, and energetic. The first time I laid eyes on him two years ago, I didn't know I could love something so much. Here we are two years later and I love him even more.

As a mom, you want everything to be perfect for your child. Unfortunately, I've had the flu and I wasn't able to do everything I wanted for his birthday but thanks to my wonderful family, I know Everett had a memorable birthday. My parents and two of my siblings came over for dinner to celebrate. My brother Garret cooked and made one of Everett's favorite meals, spaghetti!

I knew that Everett knew that it was a special day made just for him. I wish I would've captured the moment when we all began singing happy birthday to him. His face and his eyes lit up brighter than I had ever seen. I watched him as he looked at everyone and I knew he was full of absolute contentment and happiness. That made my day and that's when I knew that even though I wasn't able to create all the birthday ideas I had planned, it was perfect for him.

Opening his birthday gift from Momma and Dada.

Fire Station!

Fire truck!

We realized 5 minutes before dinner that we didn't have a cake. Dada saved the day on that one.

Thanks to my wonderful mom, she brought some fun party hats!

Me and my handsome birthday boy.

Everett's birthday party was scheduled for today but was canceled and rescheduled for next Sunday. I feel like I'm on the mend and look forward to crafting and baking this week for his party!

Birthday Boots

Everett received his first pair of boots from Nana and Papa at his birthday dinner last night. They're a size too big but he wanted to practice walking in them so he'll be ready the next time he goes out to the farm.

{Birthday dinner blog post to come.}

Playroom

It's funny how things work when you have a child. As many of you know, we recently moved. Well, our last house looked like a bunch of baby roommates occupied it. I don't necessarily like the statement but I've heard people refer to their house as if someone barfed toys everywhere. That's pretty much what our house looked like.

It's funny how things work when you have a child. Two out of three bedrooms at our new house belong to Everett.

We compromised with him that he could have his own playroom as long as Mom and Dad had their living room back, dining room, and kitchen back. It was a good deal for all parties involved.

{He still has a few more boxes of toys too.}

Humility and Facebook

Humility is one virtue I have always admired. It's not an easy one to hold but I've heard it can be held with amounts of practice. I know this topic is unlike most of my blog posts (can we say Everett?!) but it got me thinking on my way home. As I was trying to tune out my screaming child in the backseat, I started thinking about Facebook. I have a strong love/hate relationship with this social networking app. I download it and unload it off and on my Blackberry a few times a month. I currently hate it. I just deleted it this morning.

Needless to say, not having it on my phone will positively not allow me to read updates multiple times a day but rather force me to boot up my {slow} desktop which in the long run I choose not to; therefore, deterring me from knowing everything from what people are eating to what they're complaining about.

When I'm in the current "love" state of Facebook and have it's icon up at the top of my phone, I enjoy keeping posted and knowing what my family and friends are up to. It's a great way to stay in touch when you have family that live in other countries {my sissy!} or states.

When I'm in the current "hate" state of Facebook, I get easily annoyed of people who make it a habit of making an uproar everytime something negative occurs. I believe complaining is acceptable in moderation. Life can get tough and we can feel like we can't handle it and sometimes, it just feels plain relieving to complain. Keep note that there's a difference between complaining and whining though. Whining just sounds like someone taking their nails down a chalkboard. I admit I have a few people in which I've hidden their status updates, which also got me thinking, why don't I just delete them? If I don't ever see their posts, why have them?

There's also a difference between sharing and bragging. Because I'm a mother to a very adorable one year old, I support any parent's need to brag about their child. Every once in awhile. Going overboard does exist though in the eyes of other parents.

Back to the topic {humility} --- What got me on thought of all this came from the current book I'm reading. Chapter 9: Let Others Have the Glory. {"Don't Sweat the Small Stuff..." by Richard Carlson, PH.D.}

"There is something magical that happens to the human spirit, a sense of calm that comes over you, when you cease needing all the attention directed toward yourself and instead allow others to have the glory.

Our need for excessive attention is that ego-centered part of us that says "Look at me. I'm special. My story is more interesting than yours." It's a voice inside of us that may not come right out and say it, but that wants to believe that "my accomplishments are slightly more important than yours." The ego is that part of us that wants to be seen, heard, respected, considered special, often at the expense of someone else. It's the part of us that interrupts someone else's story, or impatiently waits his turn to speak so that he can bring the conversation and attention back to himself. To varying degrees, most of us engage in this habit, much to our own detriment. When you immediately dive in and bring the conversation back toward you, you can subtly minimize the joy that person has in sharing and in doing so, create distance between yourself and others. Everyone loses.

The next time someone tells you a story or shares an accomplishment with you, notice your tendency to say something about yourself in response.

Although it's a difficult habit to break, it's not only enjoyable but actually peaceful to have the quiet confidence to be able to surrender your need for attention and instead share in the joy of someone else's glory. Rather than jumping right in and saying, "Once I did the same thing" or "Guess what I did today," bite your tongue and notice what happens. Just say, "That's wonderful" or "Please tell me more," and leave it at that. The person you are speaking to will have so much more fun and, because you are so much more "present," because you are listening so carefully, he or she won't feel in competition with you. The result will be that the person will feel more relaxed around you, making him or her more confident as well as more interesting. You too will feel more relaxed because you won't be on the edge of your seat, waiting your turn.

Obviously, there are many times when it's absolutely appropriate to exchange experience back and forth, and to share in the glory and attention rather than giving it all way. I'm referring here to the compulsive need to grab if from others. Ironically, when you surrender your need to hog the glory, the attention you used to need from other people is replaced by a quiet inner confidence that is derived from letting others have it."

When I find that I am going a little overboard on photos of Everett or updates about many of the things he's doing, I back off and end up deleting the app off my phone to prevent myself from doing so. It's difficult not to share everything there is about Everett but for the sake of my followers and readers, I tone it down a bit.

I think Facebook has belittled the opportunity for people to have a little bit of humility. It creates a huge sanctuary for people to do just the opposite; brag, show off, whine, and complain. Others know the fine line and for those, I genuinely enjoy staying in touch. I think they use it purposefully. I admit though that when someone tells me they just "ate a sandwich," I want to tell them "I just took a dump" or "I just flicked a booger on the wall" but instead, I just chuckle to myself.

Humility isn't an easy virtue to have and I work each day to have a sense of it. I also greatly admire those who have it. Something about it gives me more respect and sincerity towards them.

"Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" is a small, quick read and I would encourage you to read it!

Big Boy Playing

I remember when Everett was playing with simplistic toys such as plastic rings and water bottles. His playtime involved me surrounding him with little baby toys while with such effort, he worked so hard to turn, shake, and rattle them. Now, he's mobile and plays like such a big boy like this:

He's very into cars lately and loves driving them everywhere. On the floor, on the walls, and any other surface he can find.

Everett turned 20 months yesterday. Are we really only 4 months from the big TWO?!

Beach Trip

What is Summer without a fun, beach trip?! We don't make it there often but try to at least go once a year. We went and stayed at the same place we stayed last year. Everett was only 8 months and it was his first beach trip. The drive there was a bit of a nightmare. For some reason, Everett HATED being in his carseat and we had to stop multiple times to take a break. I also had to sit in the back with him to calm his crying/screaming. I get carsick pretty easily so the ride wasn't quite enjoyable for me either. Other than that, he did great. He wasn't a fan of the beach because of the wind so we only took him out twice for about 5 minutes. Walking on the beach is what I spent most of my time doing (pre-baby time) so Dale and I took turns each evening to go out and spend some time out on the beach. While it would've been nice to spend it together, it was still refreshing and enjoyable.

{This was a panoramic photo taken from Dale's phone.}

A must-do of the beach weekend was to shop at the outlet malls there, which Everett enjoyed; meaning he was good in the stroller and liked walking around with us.

Everett loves riding his bicycle so we made the good decision of taking it with us. He got so many waves and hello's and "you're so cute!"s from everyone he waved to. As he does riding his bicycle at home, he also had to make sure to stop and point at each crack on the sidewalk at the beach.

The best part: Everett did so wonderful sleeping. He didn't take much of naps during the day but he went down at night quickly and slept through the night. I can't say he does the same at home. It was a pleasant surprise!

The weather was fair and ended up being sunny the day we left. Go figure. We're thankful that it didn't rain though. I think we may plan on going back to the beach at the end of this Summer!

Blog Hiatus

It has been so long since I have blogged. There are many reasons why I haven't but it's largely due to my camera breaking. I prefer (as well as I know others do) blog entries with photos. I've been debating whether to get the Canon Rebel DSLR or to get a smaller, basic digital camera. I've wanted the Rebel for so long but haven't been able to justify spending the money on one. I'm not interested in becoming a photographer nor have the time to sit down and learn about all the options the DSLR's have to offer. But- when I see beautiful, high quality photos, I always wish I had one!

Time has also contributed to my lack of blogging. Everett is so playful and social these days and needs me to play with him all day. When he's down for a nap or in bed for the night, I work on cleaning up the house. It seems as if I have a dishwasher full to unload and to fill back up every single night. I'm a little OCD on leaving clean dishes in the dishwasher or dirty dishes in the sink so it needs to be done every night, along with the pick up of toys that literally lay EVERYWHERE. By then, it's 9pm and I'm ready to shower and get into bed.

I admit I haven't been staying up on everyone else's blog and am looking forward to catching up and seeing what everyone's been up to. I have been able to stay in touch via Facebook, which makes it so easy to do with the mobile app but I just deleted it off my phone. I have a love/hate with Facebook.

I'm also trying to shed about 20 lbs so I've been trying to run about 5 days a week. I haven't exercised in years. The first time I ran left me quite sore and barely unable to get up. It didn't hit me until about 3 days later. I should've ran a mile instead of two. Everett enjoys being in the jogging stroller and munches on snacks and waves at every single car and points at every single tree.

Well, sorry this is a boring blog entry with no photos. I'll be getting a camera here soon!

Easter 2011

Look how cute and little Everett was last year!

I can't believe he celebrated his SECOND Easter this year!

He's not very fond of photo-taking lately so I wasn't able to get any big smiles or poses. They were all caught "in action."

{Notice the bump/redness on his head? This comes from a lot of constant banging of the head. He's been doing it a lot. }

{Ignore the ugly boxes. We're still in the process of moving. Ugh.}

We enjoyed a wonderful sermon at church and headed out to my parent's afterwards. Lots of great food and wonderful company in celebration of Jesus' resurrection! Wonderful day indeed!

Challenging Day

Today's been a challenging day. We had to cancel our move for this weekend due to me losing my job in the coming future. Long story short, my boss is in the process of losing his buildings due to substantial delinquency.

On the bright side, the owner of the place we were going to move into graciously is willing to refund the $1700 in deposit and rent we already paid. Working in this field, this is something that a landlord never does. It's very rare, to say the least. In the 10 years I've been in this business, the companies I worked for never once refunded a deposit if someone backed out for any reason. He was so sympathetic when I called him this morning. The best part is, I didn't even ask and it was his offer to do so.

The place we're living at now has been re-rented so we are scrambling to find an affordable place. I admit I was looking forward to a newer, larger, more private place to live.

Also, after only 2 days, we pulled E out of daycare since I'm home with him now. In these 2 days, Everett hit the inevitable and is SICK. It was my understanding that if a child is sick, that they are not allowed to come to daycare. Every single kid in Everett's class has been sick this week. Coughing and excess amounts of nasty green/yellow snot hanging from their noses. No wonder Everett is sick. I'm also fighting something as well. And with no naps in daycare, Everett is beyond exhausted. He is so off schedule that he hasn't been able to nap at home either. I'm really looking forward to getting him back on track.

It's been a whirlwind and stressful day for me today with the combination of an overly fussy Everett, canceling our move for this weekend, and talking to my current landlord and seeing if there's anything we can work out so we don't have to move out in 2 days.

I truly believe that everything in life happens for a reason though and this bump in the road is all apart of God's plan for Everett, Dale, and I. Dale told me today that God is just keeping us on our toes, and isn't that the truth!

First Day of School

Today was Everett's 1st official day of school! Just like my mom always did, I made sure to get a photo.

Last night, I was already anticipating him going and was trying to think of a reason why he didn't have to go. Deep down though, I knew it would be a great experience for him.

I ended up staying there for about an hour and a half to help him get acquainted. On Mondays, there's only 4 of them so it was a good first day for him to adjust.

He did very well sitting at the table with the other kids for breakfast. At home, I don't give Everett his food in bowls because he always ends up throwing the bowl, causing food to fly everywhere. I told the teacher that I'm surprised that he hasn't chucked the bowl of cereal and mandarin oranges. Sure enough, about 5 minutes later, the floor was covered with honey nut cheerios and oranges.

As I left to go to work, he didn't cry. The minute I got into the car, I broke down. Yes, that's right. Everett didn't cry but Mom did. About an hour after I got into work, I called Emily (director/owner) to check up on him. I guess he ended up crying a little awhile after I left when he realized I wasn't there any longer but he was easily consolable when his teacher held him.

I worried about nap time and thought (and still think) impossible for Everett to sleep on a cot on the floor amongst the other kids. He actually ended up napping for 20 minutes but was woken up by an infant crying in the next room. I'm just surprised he napped at all. I was also told he didn't eat lunch and only had a bite or two of his afternoon snack. He went to town on dinner when we got home!

I received the "Toddling Turtle's Daily Report" and here is what today's report had to say: Today at school, I had a wonderful first day. After you left for work, we did an art project. I made a penguin and I enjoyed putting all the body parts together. The first toy I played with was the vacuum cleaner. I also played with the big red ball. All in all, I had a fantastic first day and can't wait to come back again.

I'm not quite sure if he really can't wait to come back. When I came to pick him up, I peaked through the classroom window and watched him for a little bit. He was just standing there with a glazed look over his face while staring at one of the other kids. The second I walked in, he saw me and started crying and refused to give me a smile or a hug and only wanted to rest his head on my shoulder. He had such a somber-looking look on his face. He didn't make a peep the whole way home and it took a little bit of coaxing for me to get any noise or expression out of him. This is unlike him. Poor guy!

Overall, I guess I am pleased with how his 1st day went. I'm thankful that he didn't cry all day, which Emily told me that a handful of kids do on their 1st day. I am looking forward to staying home tomorrow with Everett and getting a decent nap out of him. It'll be recovery day for us.

I'm already dreading him going back on Wednesday. This will be a big adjustment for all of us!