New car seats for everyone!

In Brian's car, Zachariah's AWESOME 2004 Britax Wizard is finally expiring. Selah Grace has a super cool Britax Boulevard, but it's too bulky to fit Leroy's seat next to it.

In my car, Zachariah's seat has already expired and Selah Grace is in the Graco bucket. Which she still fits just fine, but will probably outgrow it when Leroy gets here.

Soooooo... that means new seats allll around.



We have small cars (corolla and small suv), so this was a super-duper challenge. Thankfully, there are so many online resources! I found a forum of car-seat technicians who were extremely helpful in the 3-across debacle. 3-across is hard enough, but when you have a small car (especially the corolla), where the angle of the seats plays a part, as well as the width and height, and specifically where each seat is wide or narrow in order to puzzle them next to each other - it just gets very complicated.


And I think - after sooooo much research - (drumroll)


Zachariah will get a Britax Parkway. He wants it in Maui Blue. (tacky, but whatever) And he gets to sit on the passenger side (for carpool and because we can move the passenger seat up a bit). Plus he likes the window seat. I cannot BELIEVE he is finally graduating to something other than a 5-point harness! (I admit, I absoutely cringe when I see smaller kids in a booster. I just don't see the rush!) Anyways, the technicians approved his move up to a high-back-booster. We would have gotten the Radian (the seat SG is getting), but it only fits in the middle seat, and it makes more sense to have SG in the Radian. My big boy! He should be able to ride in this seat for the next 5-7 years or so.

Selah Grace will get a Sunshine Kids Radian XT SL. She will sit in the middle. This seat needs the most angle, and it will only fit in the middle. I love the cute pattern! :) It's a very narrow seat that should fit well in our car and will keep her rear-facing for another couple of years. (That's another thing I cringe about - facing babies forward at a year old. Again - why the rush?) It also has the side-impact wings. I've always liked those in the Britax seats, so I was glad to see them offered. And it is supposedly extra cushion-y. She will have this seat until Kindergarten or so.




Leroy will get a Coccoro and sit behind the driver. This will also keep him rear-facing for several years. (It does also fit forward.) It's more narrow than the Radian, and it's really the only narrow seat that will fit behind the driver's seat in my corolla, without totally squishing the driver into the steering wheel. We will have to upgrade his seat, probably in about 4 years. But by then, we will probably have another car and other options.

I had a few color choices, but I think I chose ones that will look okay together. I was hoping to have the babies in matching seats on the outside and Zac in the middle - just to be aesthetically pleasing... haha! But, we worked with what we had, and I think they'll look cute. Brian does not understand my need for them to look cute together.

Do you think they'll all look cute next to each other?

After weeks of back-and-forth, I think these are the best (and really the ONLY) options that will fit. I'm almost sure we will need a professional to get these things installed correctly. It will be such a tight fit in my car.

Zac's getting his first because his seats are expiring (his Parkways should be shipped next week) and I'm going to keep checking the sales for the Radians and the Coccoros since they aren't necessary just yet. And gosh SG's is super pricey.

The big bummer is that we have to buy 2 of each seat. VERY expensive to buy 6 brand new car seats!!! We are going to be listing some things on craigslist for some extra cash, that's for sure! ha!

BUT, it's better than a car payment. We just keep repeating that. :)

Plus, our babies will all be safe and that is obviously the most important thing of all.

tiny but good zz update

I emailed the teacher yesterday asking about CogAT testing for K-ers. She emailed me back about that, then added at the end that she will be sending home a chapter book instead of a reader for Zachariah's take-home book.

YAY!! :)

And she said she will have activities at the end of the chapters!!

I don't care how that came to fruition. I'm just SO pleased with that!! It will be SO much more beneficial for Zachariah than to read about grasshoppers and fellows. lol

YIPPEE!!

We have been trying to be very prayerful about this decision. Although, I'm much more emotional about it all. So, about a month ago, I handed it over to Brian because he is so much more thoughtful about big decisions. He looks at all aspects, he gives everyone the benefit of the doubt, gives everyone a chance, doesn't get his feelings hurt, comes at things very practically and respectfully, etc. When he finally does feel strongly about something, you know it's a BIG deal. lol! I know he is covering it in prayer and making the right choice for our family, and I totally trust him. So, if you're wondering why we're still trying to work with this teacher, that's why.


And for those who asked, the gifted/talented testing hasn't taken place yet for K. We sent in his app back in September, but I think the testing is in December. But, I've taught GT for 3 years, so I know how it works. You still need a teacher willing to work with the kids, kwim?

Parent Teacher conference

We had Zac's parent/teacher conference last week. I thought I'd be all nervous and excited, but instead, we were both thinking we knew what we would hear. And we were pretty much right.

After the conference, Brian looked at me and asked, "Does she seem completely emotionally detached? Or is it just me?"

I laughed. That is the perfect way to describe her.


Reading MAP scores:
Phonological awareness: 176
Phonics: 168
Concepts of Print: 170
Vocab and Word Structure: 183
Comprehension: 187
Writing: 172

Lexile Range: 62-212

Math MAP scores:
Problem Solving 167
Number Sense: 165
Computation: 175
Measurement and Geometry: 184
Statistics and Probability: 177
Algebra: 181

(explanation of map scores and range - basically he falls in 2nd grade)

TPRI: It only goes through 2nd grade and he scored perfect on that.


Personally I was very disappointed by the reading map scores, but that's the teacher in me. From my experience, I think he reads at a higher level. (I gave him this quick assessment last week and he scored in 5th grade.) On the flip side, I was surprised his math scores were as high as they were. But it is what it is.



So, we knew his scores before the conference. But for all we know, all the kids score well on these. It was a 15 minute conference. The first 10, she just handed us paper after paper of his work. Then she showed us his scores. Then there were like 2 minutes left.

And it went similar to this. (I remember her answers because I've dissected this conference in 82 different ways, trying to sort through my frustration and irritation and disappointment.)


Are there other kids on his level in your class?
No

Are there other kids in Kindergarten on his level that he could work with?
I don't know, but we don't have our classes at the same time.

What does he do during reading groups?
All the children have a copy of the same reader. So, I have the other kids in his group read, and when they get stuck on a word, Zachariah reads.

If he's already tested past the take-home readers, will you still be sending books home for us to read with him?
Yes, and they might look easy, but there are some harder words [showing us book], like "grasshopper" and "fellow."

(I know there was a look on my face at this point. I couldn't help it.)

Does he ever have different work than the other kids?
He does the same work. But we do need to work on self-motivation. When I ask him to do additional work, he usually asks me why he has to do it.

Does he have good behavior in class?
Yes, all the kids look up to him. He's a great helper, too. The kids know they can always go to him for help.

So, is there anything extra or challenging that he can do besides help the other kids?
I am sure that the other children will soon catch up to Zachariah, and at that time, he will have other students he can work with.

But if the other kids are moving up, then Zachariah just stays and waits for them to catch up? Shouldn't he have the chance to move up quickly, too?

This is where she shrugged and smiled. As in, our time was up and the conference was over.

No joke.

And that was pretty much it.

Oh, and she did give us a copy of the ABC cards we cut out. We couldn't believe it. It was a joke that we might get those. And we did? I guess we'll keep them for Selah Grace?

All in all, it was just disappointing.

Unfortunately, it was pretty much what we were expecting.


Is it stupid of me that I was expecting some kind of compliment on Zac? Not only because he's my kiddo, but because he's a really good kid? And a smart kid? Or just because it's our very first parent/teacher conference and above all, we'd like to know you care about him? Or at least like him?


For various reasons, we do not want to move teachers. But ohmygoodness, no wonder he isn't a fan of school. He has two choices with his work: do the boring stuff OR be the only kid in there who has to do something harder. (and I'm using "harder" very loosely - what I saw was hardly differentiating. It was just busy work to keep him busy longer.)

I have a few specific issues, as a parent.
1. We're sending him to school to learn. Not to help you teach.
2. My child deserves to learn just like everyone else.
3. It's a shame that a teacher with that much experience doesn't have the supplemental materials (or the desire) to meet the needs of the kids at different levels in her classroom.
4. If he isn't challenged NOW, then what happens when he finally is challenged? He will not know how to handle it. He will not know how to handle other kids being better than him. He should be learning this now, and should be grouped with some other "ahead" kids to give him a run for his money.




When you have a kid who is behind, you have all sorts of resources to help you. Because test scores are important, of course. But when you have one ahead, it just comes off as bragging. It's frustrating because the kids all have the same needs at this age. This is the age to soak up knowledge, to learn how to try hard, to learn what it means to give your best, to be excited about learning.

When he had the day off last Friday, we did a packet of work here, and he was so into it. I know he's still got the desire in there. He loves the harder stuff - the math puzzles, the word puzzles, the problem solving. It made me happy he still has the desire, but sad that he's in an environment where it doesn't matter.

His teacher stinks.

That's what I think about that.

The Pink Aisle... it was like a magnet

We were at Walmart, getting a gift for one of Zachariah's friends, who happens to be a girl.

Brian came looking for me and he had Selah Grace with him. All of a sudden we heard shrieking.

Selah Grace's eyes were as big as saucers! She had found.... BARBIES!!!

My pumpkin with a pumpkin

The stomach bug attacked me this weekend. One minute I was hanging with the family and the next minute... well, it was just bad.

Sadly, we had tickets for the big Tech game this weekend down by the state fair. We were able to sell them, but what a bummer!

Then I sent Brian off hunting instead, hoping he'd stay well, but not long after he left, I was calling him begging him to come back home. Apparently I overestimated my ability to take care of a little toddler while spending half my time in the bathroom.

Anyways, I think the worst is over. And lucky Brian got away scot free!



Last week, I scheduled two doctor appts for today right during Selah Grace's naptime and Zachariah's pick-up time. Where is my brain? I didn't even realize my mishap until this morning.

Thankfully a friend said she could get Zac. But I have to bring SG to my appts. UGH. Hopefully they can still hear Leroy's heartbeat during the screaming.

On a good note, we will get confirmation that this is a boy. Maybe that will spur us on to find a real name for him.



So, here are some pics of Selah Grace. My mom got her this little kufi hat for her birthday and I really love it. I want one in every color!

The virus hits again! And some dreaming....

Well, Zac got hit again last night with this silly virus. He seemed upset at first that he would miss his soccer game, but then curled up on the couch in his little soccer uniform and watched the redbox movie I got him.

He looked so small and sweet and innocent.

But I suppose as a mom, your kids will always kind of look that way. Like the mom in I'll Love You Forever, but not as creepy. Because as much as I can cry while reading that book, she does have some serious letting-go issues.



And then this morning, I was totally enveloped in my quiet time on our patio with my Snuggie and my bible. PERFECT weather for it!

Only to have Zachariah find me to tell me that Selah Grace was awake.

Only to go in there and find vomit everywhere.

And, you know, there are some really really gross parts of parenting. Cleaning up chunky vomit being one of them.



All that said, I'm bleaching once again. SG's room stinks like bleach and vomit and a lit match. Because I thought the match would take care of the stink, but instead it all blended together.


During this tiny little quiet moment while Zac lays on the couch and SG sleeps in her bed and the washer and dryer and dishwasher are all running and Brian's plane flies home and I wait to start my own vomiting... I am dreaming about when we move back to our house and the cool things I plan to build.

First in Zac's room:
From what Zac and I have decided, he is going to have one camo wall, a rock climbing wall, and a zipline. He will also have part of the wall that is chalkboard paint. I am SO excited for him and he loves all the ideas. Oh, and he wants a swinging-door gate on his doorway just like his friend Ethan - to keep the babies out.

But I have yet to decide between these 2 beds. One has storage, and one has room for a friend to spend the night. Since we have a small house, storage would be great. But I loved having a trundle when I was growing up for friends to sleep. I like the storage bed for the simplicity and the fact that there are no rails to crash into while zip-lining.

I have the plans for both of these beds and they look fairly easy to build. Just need to decide which. :)

Also if I want his bed to be black or a wood stain.

Zac trundle bed



Zac storage bed



In the nursery, with SG and Leroy, we will probably only have room for the 2 cribs. We will put a storage unit in the closet for all their stuff. I am planning to build some pretty built-in shelves on one wall, around a large window. But I'm going to build some other things first, so I know what I'm doing. And I have a really super cute idea for the other walls. :)


We will need a new dining table - not just because I have burned my child's name into it, but also because it only has 4 chairs and we need 5 - and I found the PERFECT one. I've searched for this exact table in stores in the past and never found it for any kind of realistic price. NOW I can build it!!!

Isn't it fabulous?!!

We have a very narrow dining room, so now I can make it just the width that we need. I don't know about the benches, but my favorite wood-building-plans girl doesn't have a good plan for parsons chairs yet. Hopefully by the time I make this, she will some chair plans. Those chairs are from Pottery Barn I'm sure, but I'd love to have them! Unfortunately I cannot weave, so I don't see that happening.

I kind of also like this one with the board running underneath, but I have heard the chairs sometimes don't push in all the way with this design.

If I do have to do the benches, I thought this was a great idea for the entryway to make use of the bench when we didn't need it. We plan to have Moses push back a wall in the entry anyways, and this would fit perfectly and go really well with our "style." I can just picture our coat rack next to it carrying 3 little backpacks. :)

Last but not least (since it's actually one of the first things I need to build!), the high chairs for the babies! High chairs typically frustrate me. Having them in my daycare, I know how they are to clean. Plus they are bulky and, again, we have a really small house. Right now, we have a little one that fits on a chair, but I really wanted matching ones for the little kids when we moved back home.

I love the simplicity of these and I plan to paint them black. With really glossy paint that is easy to clean. I heard they are SUPER easy to build!

I have a folder of pictures for the two bedrooms where our kids will be. It's so fun to plan it all. :)

That's all. Now, what to feed the little people for lunch that has the possibility of ending back up on my carpet?

decisions decisions

So much to decide right now. Wishing we could fast forward a bit to see the future.


It's times like this where feel completely 100% dependent on God. Because we feel clueless and a bit lost!

Zachariah continues to cry in the mornings about school. This morning faking a tummyache to stay home (now that he has realized that's how it works).

We are praying about the right thing to do for our little guy. He has so much going on and carries so much on his heart for such a sweet little boy. We can't say enough how much we love him and would do anything for him.


Trying - in the midst of things - to consider this a little storm during which we can all be reminded of dependence on God and complete trust in Him.