Thursday, January 6, 2011

Escaped Toddler on the Loose!


It took four days to get back into the groove of this new year. We arrived at school only 7 minutes late. Everyone had decent hair, fresh breath, and eager smiles anticipating the school day ahead of them. Our goal for next week: 9:05. That's practically on time for us.


For the past few weeks Thursday afternoons have been my designated tutoring days. I have a 4pm appointment for some SAT Writing and Reading prep time. Mark has been able to meet me at the house at 3:40 for the changing of the guards ceremony. Before this week, he's stepped into a house full of silence. Both children fast asleep for their afternoon respite. Today, not so much.


Heath has pretty much been on a nap boycott this entire week. He's content to read a few books and watch what he has declared, My new most favoritest (good thing he's not taking the SAT anytime soon) show, Wild Kratts. I can hardly blame him. The Kratt brothers, Martin and Chris, spin science concepts, such as zoology, into animation. They have a special "power suit" that enables them to take on the abilities of whatever animal they encounter. It's a four year old boy's dream.


And for three days in a row, Stella has simply stayed in her room, reading books, talking to her stuffed animals, and occasionally shrieking about a variety of things that are unintelligable, unless your Stella. It all makes perfect sense to her, and she's happy to have her own space, whether she gets a little shut-eye or not.


Mark was running late today, which meant our debriefing was, well, brief. Nobody is sleeping, I cautioned, and sped off to my tutee. Before I could hear one song on a CD, and change mental gears from home to Improving Sentences and Top 5 tips for Improving Paragraphs, my phone vibrated. It read, Mark calling...


He was calling to let me know that Stella was downstairs. It's no big deal, really, it just meant Stella had climbed out of her crib, opened her door, and walked down the stairs. A feat that had yet to be attempted. And according to Mark, she was thrilled (and slightly apologetic) with her new discovery. Sorry, Daddy, she said. Got out of bed.


And as soon as I returned home from my session, she shouted, Mommy, got out of bed, mommy, got out of bed, complete with acrobatic leg lifts and somersaults.

It was bound to happen sooner than later. So, Weekend Project # 1: move Uncle's old bunk beds from the attic to Heath's room, convince him this is a very cool way to sleep, and it's a perfectly dandy idea to then move his toddler bed to Stella's room. Followed shortly by Weekend Project #2: Dismantle Christmas Tree and call it a holiday and new year.


It is most definitely a new chapter in the Ropko house.












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