School Choice

Of course I started this post 2 months ago ... why cannot I pledge to post 1X a day so this doesn't happen. I don't remember what I was going to say exactly.
MNPS has this application process for certain schools which are considered optional. The application period is Nov. 1-30, deadline is Nov. 30.  We completed it in early November.

There are 2 schools for children aged 3-4 years old. They are Montessori focused schools located in the Donelson & Metrocenter areas. Typically you can apply for up to 7 schools; however, these are the only 2 available for Julia at this time. If she doesn't get selected (supposed to be random), then she's wait listed  Our next options are the other Pre-K programs at various schools around the county.

Luckily there are a few at schools in East Nashville which we prefer for a variety of reasons, mainly proximity as you must provide transportation. We also don't want Julia to change schools (hopefully we like the initial one she attends).
We really liked Hattie Cotton & Dan Mills, but DM is the only 1 that has a PK that she's eligible. Our friends' children go there as well as Julia's former teacher's grandchild; they all speak highly of the school. We went to HC's family fitness night & had a blast. We also like our SOZ (school of zone), Inglewood ES, but it doesn't have a PK that Julia is eligible.

Fortunately transportation is not an issue for us. You have to transport your child to PK regardless of where it is as well as any option school that is not your SOZ.  We're too close to Inglewood ES for bus transportation anyway so Jai is planning to walk with the girls if we go to IES or HC. DM is about 2 miles away.

The good thing is we like our options. Julia is going to school somewhere 5 days a week next year. Good for Julia, good for Jai, good for Jacqueline. : )

Pumping Countdown

I have 4 more weeks until Winter Break. I renewed the rental pump today for one last month. Excited much!!!!!!

If necessary after Winter Break I'll bring my home pump to work for a week or 2. I will try to wean myself to only 1 pump a day as Jacqueline will be 1 on Jan. 11. We'll see if that will be required, maybe it won't!!!

So excited for so many reasons! Now I need to get back to the gym more than once a day week so I can continue to consume the calories I enjoy. : )

CLOTH DIAPERS

This is a REALLY old post I started (not really) in 2009.
Really old, come on, so ridiculous!

We used cloth with Julia & we're using them again with Jacqueline. We use the diaper service Smile Mommy which is a small business in East Nashville. Some people ask me about washing my own. Nope, not going to do it. It is worth every dollar we pay SM for someone else to pick up a bag of dirty diapers each week & leave us a clean bag. I like using cloth for a variety of reasons, but I do not want to manage it.  Also it's really nice as your baby grows bigger all I have to do is contact SM & we have new covers & diapers in the next size. So easy, so simple!

One element that is different from when Julia was baby & toddler is that now we keep the covers & wash them ourselves. Initially Jai & I were not fond of this arrangement. We liked getting new covers each week, especially if there were some we didn't care for. However, Jacqueline quickly moved through a few size stages so it was good when we changed & got new covers a few weeks later.  We also can wash them more often if needed & they dry fairly quickly.

Jacqueline has been in her current size for a few months now & is not likely to grow out of it for awhile, possibly not before she toilet trains. We had a few covers we didn't like.  SM asked us to return a couple this week because we downsized how many diapers we receive each week which means we get fewer covers. We gladly chose the 2 we dislike to return. Win win for everyone! : )

The cost is maybe more than most disposables, but comparable to the more environmentally friendly 7th Generation or 365 Whole Foods brands which we purchase when we travel. Overall we like cloth being on our babies' bottoms & are very grateful for a diaper service in our community.

family

Another really old post - not sure what I intended to write though from the date it was a few weeks after Julia was born. My sister was in Nashville during Winter Break for the Christmas holiday & so was my dad & his family.

Original text in BOLD, didn't edit any of it.
dad & his kids - 3 from first marriage, 3 from second marriage
susie and joel here at same time, great opportunity
step-mother breastfed all 3 kids for 15-18 months after returning to paid job after 6 weeks (went to her mother's house on lunch hour to nurse), also used cloth diapers,
susie - the waterworks

Again not sure what else I was going to write, but I'm going to post it. : )

Horrid Day 101:

Start with an almost 4 year old who doesn't go to sleep till 10:30pm. Add an almost one year old who is too congested and wired from guests to go to sleep when she needs too. Let that mix simmer until someone pees in the bed. After that you can add the spices, said 1 yr old wakes up at least an hour before she needs to and 4 yr old isn't far behind. So now, with two under rested, congested children and one under rested, congested dad you start the day.

First thing is to feed the children, after an adequate breakfast 1 yr old starts to cry. Why? Who the hell knows, probably related to teething. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that. Does her crying stop for the next 2 hours? Only when food is in her mouth or she's being carried.

To finish the recipe you have the 4 yr old punch the dog and the refuse punishment.

Optional, correct 4 yr old with severity enough to bring tears and screams which, in turn, scare 1 yr old so much as to have simultaneous scream fest.

And that was all before 10am.