Goodbye Kindergarten

On the way to the bus stop this morning.




Today is Donovan's last day of Kindergarten. He's grown so much this school year, physically (he's tall for his age), developmentally, academically and socially. I can still remember worrying, fretting, making lists, buying supplies, dreading and anticipating the first day of school for Donovan. I may have worried a bit more than others because my child wanted no part of going. He was so painfully shy and didn't adapt well to change or new people, that I didn't think it would be good at all. He didn't want to leave the familiarity of preschool, which he also had a hard time adjusting to. It was six months before he'd talk to his preschool teachers and even then I don't think it was a lot. Sure enough, once school started, within the first month we were having a parent teacher conference. Donovan was not interacting with the teacher at all and only a little bit with his classmates. We told her that the only thing we could do is encourage him to open up but really he'd just have to get to a point where he was comfortable. I also was not above bribing him, which actually worked. If he'd talk to his teacher and friends at school.....I'd buy him any DVD that he wanted. Surprisingly, it worked! He didn't turn into Mr. Social but he did start to open up and talk at school. He has friends that he plays with, he's learning and he's happy. What more could a parent ask for? If my child is happy, then I am happy too.

GNATS!

I don't like bugs. I am really amazed that I made it through a childhood spent primarily outdoors (weather permitting) considering my dislike of critters. For about 3 weeks we have had swarms of gnats on base. I think it is affecting us more because we live right by the river. Coworkers that live off base haven't noticed a problem. They cover the buildings and trees. Needless to say, the birds are very happy. It's like an all-you-can-eat buffet for them. Here's a pic of the gnats above the back door. It's not a very good pic because I took it from inside the house. There was NO WAY I was going out there!

Donovan's Closet

I called in sick to work today. I was feeling a little dizzy and had a migraine, but I decided not to just lay around(even though I wanted to). I thought it would be a good idea to clean out Donovan's closet. Lately, with the warm weather, it's been challenging trying to find stuff for him to wear in there. He had sizes going all the way back to a 4 and he's in a 6 now. So.....I went through and got all of the clothes that were size 4/5 and in decent shape to donate to the thrift store.

This is the pile of stuff that I took out of the drawers and closet. Some of this stuff was barely worn. I kid you not that hubby and Donovan have more clothes than anyone in the house. Well, I guess it's just hubby now since Donovan's wardrobe has been reduced by half. Probably more than half.

Here is Donovan's closet after. I didn't think about taking a before picture until after I'd gotten started. This lets me see what he has and what he's going to need for the next couple of seasons. He's getting to the point where he's expressing opinions about what he wears so....we'll see how shopping for him goes.

The Neverending Train Journey To and From NC

My niece, Taylor, was having her baby blessing NC on June 13th. I thought it would be fun if Donovan and I rode the train (Amtrak). The tickets were super cheap, $162 roundtrip for both us and it was a 7 hour 45 min ride. Going by car is about 6 hours so I figured it was a win-win. Everything started off great. We were on the Carolinian. The train was on time and there was a slight issue with us getting a seat together (thanks to the nice Marine who gave up his seat). I'd done some online research and had food, a portable dvd player, some travel games and jackets. We were all set. Well....apparently, if it is over 90 degrees, the train has to slow down for safety reasons. We spent a good two hours going about 25 mph. So that delayed us. Then, outside of Raleigh, we sat on the tracks unmoving for an hour. No one made an announcement as to why we were delayed, nor did they apologize for the delay until after they finally got us moving. From what I was able to overhear, they were waiting for another conductor to take over the shift. So...with the heat issues still in play, our just under 8 hour train ride, turned into 12 HOURS. Donovan finally gave up and fell asleep once it got dark and slept until I woke him up right before we arrived in Kannapolis. When Rob picked us up at the station it was midnight.

Our train ride back to DC was better but it was delayed too. Only 2 hours though, so that was a bit more bearable than the train ride to NC. We had some delays due to heat and rain. The major delay was when a diabetic passenger had a siezure and EMS had to be called. They did keep us informed of what was going on with that delay and the passenger was removed to the hospital. Donovan was SO OVER riding the train and said that he wanted off the train asap. He was whiny and cranky and I was very glad that he slept for a few hours. So, all in all, the trip back was much better than the trip to NC. Someone asked me if I'd ever take the train again. I would but I think I would limit them to short trips under 3 hours like to New York City. Anywhere else, I'll go by plane or car.

Taylor

I LOVE MY NIECE!

This past weekend the entire family went to NC for Taylor's Blessing. It was so great to finally meet her. She is absolutely adorable and Donovan is crazy about her. We're already planning to go back and visit soon.