A Season of Change...

So there has been a lot going on and with all this change I feel I need to get some things off my chest. The first and foremost important change is that the principal of our school has decided not to come back for the next school year. This is not unusual in the fact that teachers/staff/directors/principals come and go, but this particular change is going to bring about some things to be concerned about. When I started working at my school 3 years ago, Makayla was not going to school yet, since she was just 6 months old. By my second year, Phil and I felt that it was time for her to start going. I had heard rumors that teachers would get a discount on their child's tuition so I went to the principal to talk to her about it. Sure enough, I was right, but at that particular time, (since I am an aide) I was only eligible for a mere 20% discount. Well since Makayla wasn't going that much, that was ok. But this year, Makayla was in a different class and so I felt that the 20% was cutting it. (Lead teachers got a 50% discount.) So I again went to the principal and she really worked with me on getting me a 40% discount! That was huge! That really helped us out! Well, with her leaving, I am just worried about the next principal, will they keep that policy? We have heard that they can't just take it away, but as each year passes, the discount might be less and less. Well, as Makayla gets older, the tuition increases. We have also been informed that tuition will be going up a LOT next year. This is also a concern. Since I am an aide, I don't make that much, but enough to cover about half her tuition that we pay now...what if the tuition goes up to where my whole paycheck has to go for her tuition? Will it be worth it for me to keep working? Should we try and find a public school? These are all very real possibilities. I am really trying to just put this in God's hands and I will follow what I think he wants us to do.

The other thing that is scaring me is that I have been bitten. Bitten hard. Bitten by what you ask? Well, I will tell you.... the baby bug. Yep, that's right. Ever since Makayla was born I could not even fathom the idea of having another child. We knew we wanted more than one, but really couldn't imagine what that would be like. She has just been so wonderful and we have been perfectly content with her, but for some reason lately I have been having all these emotions and feelings about babies. Every time I see or hold a baby or even see a pregnant woman, I just feel this twinge in the pit of my stomach. I miss the feeling of being pregnant. I miss seeing the first smile, hearing the first laugh, getting that first hug etc. Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE MAKAYLA with all my heart, but she too is feeling these effects. She has been asking Phil and I for a "baby sister" for many months now. I think she just wants someone to play with.. ha! Which I totally don't blame her for.. I mean how much fun can playing with your parents all the time really be? But is she really ready for this life altering change? Are we? I have been told a million times that even though you feel like you couldn't possibly love another child, you can. I really can't imagine loving another child as much as I love Makayla, but I guess I will just have to wait and see. We have talked about trying for next summer to get pregnant.. so that leaves us with only 7 months to cherish our time alone with our precious little girl. I really don't want this to come out wrong, because we really do want to have another baby, but for some reason I almost feel like this 7 month time frame is a death sentence in a way. Just for the fact that Makayla's whole way of life will be different. We will have to divide our attention as she won't be the center of ours anymore. She will have to share her toys and wait on Mommy when I have to take care of the baby. Will she still feel loved by us when things like this occur? I guess the only thing I can do is just pray and spend as much time with her as I can. Just to make me feel better, I need all you mommas with more than 1 child to give me some good advice and stories. Let me know how you got through it and I will be eternally grateful!

With a heavy heart,
Mama G

Another first for The Princess!

So a couple of weeks ago, I decided that it was time for Makayla to experience her first movie in a theater. Madagascar was opening that weekend, so we set out to go on that Saturday afternoon. We went to eat some lunch first and then headed to the theater! She was in awe! It was so cute to see her big ol' eyes just taking everything in. She called the screen, "A really big tv!" Haha!! Well, as a result, all she talks about is the animals that "went to Africa" and she also walk around singing, "I like to move it, move it!!" So stinkin adorable!! So here are some pictures from our movie experience! Enjoy!!

In front of the theater!

She was checking out the poster for another movie!

Movie is about to start!!

Afterward she got to ride on a helicopter in the mall!

Something other than poop

Ok, I realize that my last post probably didn't appeal to many people... sorry about that. I just really had to get that out there because keeping that all bottled inside was driving me nuts! So, on to better things here folks!
I am happy to report that as of last week we have had poop free incidents! Yeah! Last weekend, Phil went out of town leaving Makayla and I to have a Mommy & Makayla Weekend of Fun!! I decided that since she is almost 3 (sniff, sniff) that it was time to introduce her to the world of film. And no, not the dirty kind you sickos. I knew that Madagascar was opening so we went and saw it on Saturday. It was so cute to see her experience that! She was just so amazed at the "really big tv" as we called it! Ha! She did so great too! She sat there the whole time and never got up! I was very proud of her!
This past Monday we decided to go get her annual Christmas portraits done at the Picture People in the mall. We did this last year and were VERY happy with the results. (Just come take a look at our house.... tons of the framed pics line almost every wall in our den!) Well, not too surprising, these lastest pictures turned out GREAT!!! They are so beautiful! I will post some up soon...

Well, I am gonna wrap this up, but will leave you with an entertaining story from school today:
We were taking our class to P.E. and I usually stand at the back of the line to make sure the kiddos aren't trying to escape! Ha! I kid, I kid! Anyway, one little girl says, "Mrs. Graf you know what?" I ask her what and she says, "Um.. my mom died last night, but then came back to life. (Slight pause) Soooo, she's all better now."

The NOT so fun events in October...

It couldn't be all good and well could it?? Well, I waited a week to write this because honestly, it took me a week to fully recover from it all. It all began last Saturday, the day after Halloween. Makayla had a wonderful time trick or treating, so we assumed her weekend would be a good one. We were wrong. We woke up Sat. morning, ate breakfast and played for a while. It came time to eat lunch and go down for a nap. She was still in a good mood and didn't put up a fight to take a nap, which is always nice. Well, I put her down around 12:30. Phil had been out with some guy friends and came home about 1:30. Makayla was STILL up making noise, so I told him he'd better go in there and see what the deal was. The next thing I hear is, "What did you do?!?!" I run in there and once again, see one of the worse things ever. She apparently had a poopy diaper and instead of telling me, she took it off and painted her crib, sheets, blankets, bears, and walls with it. It was absolutely disgusting. She of course got disciplined and we spent the next 2-3 hours cleaning up everything. We were furious. We put her to bed early that night and thought that the discipline took care of everything. We were once again, wrong. The next day, Sun. it happened AGAIN. We had put her down for a nap, and after like an hour of making non-stop noise, Phil went in there and she had painted with her poop again. We were so shocked, we honestly didn't know what to do. Did the discipline from the day before not register?? So we once again, punished her and had a very long talk about it. Then we spent the next couple of hours cleaning.

Now fast forward to Tues. (Which is her school day.) We woke up, had a GREAT morning. No fights over clothes or what to eat, it was wonderful! She was being her old, sweet self again. I dropped her at her classroom and then went to my class. A mere 2 hours later, the director came to see me. She said that Makayla had pooped in her pants (no big deal right) but while she was in the bathroom waiting for the teacher to change her, (The teacher was finished cleaning up another child) she apparently got bored and shoved both hands down her diaper and then smeared it all over her clothes again. Then when the teacher turned around, Makayla accidentally got some on the teacher!!!! I WAS MORTIFIED!! You know that teacher is getting a BIG Christmas gift from us!! Anyway, I just wanted to cry! I couldn't believe she would do that at school!! Home is one thing, at least no one else has to be subjected to it, but at school?!?! So they cleaned her up and I went down there and had another talk with her. But there is some good news.... we have not had another poop incident since Tues.! Thank goodness!
So I am in need of some advice here people! I called my pediatrician, who assured me that this can happen at this age and it's not out of the normal, but for crying out loud, how do I STOP it from happening?? If any of you have had a similar experience, please give us a shout out in the comments! I really need to know I am not the only one going through this!!

Fun Events in October!

So October was a very busy, fun-filled month! I decided to make a short slide show to encompass all the fun things we did! Enjoy!!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook