Tag, You're It!

Parker was running around the house one night saying tag, you're it!  Where does he come up with this stuff?  Preschool.

My kids have a pretty crazy weekly schedule, they are with one Grandma two days a week, one Grandma one day a week and at a home daycare the other two days a week.  On top of that, I enrolled Parker in half a day of preschool per week.  At the time I kind of questioned whether it was necessary, but I figured we would see how it went. 

Well, I think it's been amazing.  Parker is a shy kid, I would say he's slightly introverted and takes a while to warm up to a situation.  He loves playing with his brother, and his brother goes everywhere else with him.  We absolutely love the  home daycare, but home daycare is regulated as to the max number of kids they can have, which is 5.  So there are only maximum 3 other kids with them at daycare and only one of them is Parker's age.

Preschool gives him the opportunity to interact with more kids who are in his age group, and not have his little brother to fall back on.  After he started at preschool I saw such huge improvements in his vocabulary.  He would come home singing songs.  I asked him who he played with and he told me "Joshua".  I had no way of knowing if this was true until I was talking to Joshua's mom, not knowing who she was, and she said that Joshua always talked about Parker.  Ok, I guess they are friends!

The other night I asked who he played tag with and he listed off four of the boys that go to preschool with him.  

It's strange to send your kids somewhere and not know what they are doing.  But I also love that he has somewhere that he can go independently and grow and learn.  

February Book Review

I didn't read a ton this month as I was busy with other things.  But I still got a few books in and they were a bit different from what I often read.  

The Magnolia Story by Chip & Joanna Gaines

I have never watched even one single episode of Fixer Upper.  I know who Chip and Joanna Gaines are, but really knew nothing about them.  And I loved this book.  So if you watch their show, you will probably really love this book!

This book is just their story, how they met, their marriage and how the show came to be.  They seem so down to earth and like they just have a very solid marriage and family life.  My only complaint is that it took me awhile to like Chip's portions of the book.  Joanna wrote the majority of it and then every so often Chip would throw something in.  It became more substantial as time went on, but in the beginning I didn't like the style of it.  I did come around eventually though.

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

This book has been on my list for awhile, but I kept putting it off because I wanted fluffier reads.  But this was actually a really easy read and I found myself into the story from the very beginning. 

This book is about a 9 year old girl who is orphaned and rides the orphan train to Minnesota in 1929, where they are "adopted" out.  Some kids find good families who want a child, some find homes where they just want someone to work.  The other side of the story is in 2011 and involves Molly, a foster child, who is doing community service with a 91 year old woman named Vivian and is going through all her memories stored in her attic.  

Although I can in now way relate to the children on the orphan train, this book made the situation real and what it must have been like for these poor children back in 1929.  

My One and Only by Kristan Higgins

I guess you can say I'm a Kristan Higgins fan.  Her books aren't classic novels, but they are light and easy to read romances.  I always enjoy them.  Plus she has a ton of books, so there is usually something available from the library when I'm looking for something to read.

Harper thinks she has life all figured out.  She has her boyfriend Dennis and she's thought it through and thinks it's time they get married.  Dennis isn't so sure.  Then they go to her sister's spur of the moment wedding but her sister is marrying her ex-husband's brother.  She hasn't seen her ex in 12 years.  

These books are always a bit predictable, but there are a few twists and turns along the way.  They are definitely a nice option to have when you either just need something to read, or want something light.  

So it was a light month for reading, but I still got a few books read!  I went to the library yesterday and got 3 books out, so that always keeps me busy as I know I have to get them read before they are due!  I've read 7 of my goal of 30 books for the year, so I'm on track!