A new chapter in our lives…SCHOOL!

(written yesterday~ Thursday~ afternoon)

So…yes…I have been absent lately because there have been some MAJOR changes in the Steece household! I have debated whether or not to put this on my very public blog, but I want to remember every detail about this time in our lives…and my blog has been and will always be, first and foremost, our personal family journal. So here it goes…

The kids have started a Mother’s Day Out program (we call it “school”) at a local church and attend twice a week!

(Stephen Joseph lunch sacks---each child picked out their own!)

 

SUCH BIG KIDDOS!

(Reversible Lillian Vernon nap mats with attached pillow)

  

 

Here are the boys (Andrew, Ethan, and Ben), modeling their toddler backpacks that have been sitting in the closet for almost 2 years!

(May 2010)

 

 

 

 

I have been dying to use the packs, ever since Miss Barbara made them for the kiddos when they were wee little babes! (Thanks again, woman! They are perfect!)

 

 

 

 

The day I pulled the backpacks out of the closet, the kids would not take them off!

 

 

Ahh, the first day of school (this pic was actually the 2nd day, b/c the 1st day was filled with me running around like a crazy woman…organized chaos, if you will)

Sav, Drew, Ethan, and Ben- June 2010. Hate that it is so blurry.

 

Oh yeah, did I mention the part where I get to go back to work twice a week while the kids are at school? I cannot tell you how much I have missed nursing. When I had to go on bedrest with the quads, it was very difficult to quit working. Being a RN is such a huge part of who I am…so, needless to say, it was a struggle for me to find a “new norm” once the babies were here. I never in a million years dreamed that I would be a stay-at-home-mom. That being said, I would not have traded it in for the world!

I am working in the recovery room and operating room at an amazing outpatient surgery center.  Great staff, great doctors, incredible boss! Despite the fact that my entire paycheck is going to pay for quad schooling…it is just the break I need to be a better Mommy/Wife/Person.  I LOOOOVE using my skills again and leave work every time, in an euphoric state! Not kidding. This is me on my way to work. :) Could my smile BE any bigger?!?!

 

We had been preparing for “school” by watching DVD’s and talking a lot about what takes place. The kids were SO unbelievably excited! We split the quads up into 2 different rooms: Ben & Andrew/ Sav & Ethan. (Sav and Ben are SO co-dependent on each other, and we separated the identicals to help the teachers. If their own father can’t tell them apart, then the teachers don’t stand a chance! haha)

(Drew, Ben, Sav, and Ethan during “Wear your favorite team” week.  One of my favorite pics of all time! My cute little brown babies!)

 

Day 1, who cried, who didn’t? Here are the stats:

-Andrew immediately walked in and started playing with toys, oblivious

- Ethan was a little weepy and teary eyed, lip quivering, but held it together, very quiet

- Ben started playing with toys but then lost it when he realized that I was leaving

- Sav threw a ROYAL fit…like, broke down the gate in the doorway TWICE. SCREAMING her bloody head off. YIKES! Lol.

 

As I was rushing to put the backpacks/lunches/nap mats/ and water bottles in their designated areas (while my daughter was having an absolute panic attack), the teachers were all looking at me with gentle eyes and furrowed brows: “How are YOU doing, Mom? You okay?…” To which I chuckled and said, “ABSOLUTELY! You guys enjoy!” and ran out of there beaming with a grin from ear-to-ear! Come to find out later, Ben and Sav cried for each other several times throughout the day…not for Mama, mind you…but for each other. How sweet is that?! The teachers had to finally let them hug & love on each other so that they would settle down. Awwwwwwww

  

 

It has been SOOOO good for the kids to be around other children and make new friends. They are learning to follow directions from other adults besides Mommy & Daddy. They are learning Bible songs and stories---coming home and telling me all about it. We have seen real growth from them as individual little people…amazing to experience.  I was nervous about the whole potty training, but they have been great at school and tell their teachers when they need to visit the “facilities”.  ;)

(Ethan, Sav, Andrew and Ben- the 2nd day of “Wear your favorite team” week)

 

Joe and I crack up at the crafts that they bring home. You look at Sav’s which are all decorated with stickers and coloring, every inch is covered with something, etc…then pull out her brother’s papers and they have like ONE sticker. Its hilarious. Sav is LOVING those crafts. And after the first week, they simply adore going to school and wave bye with a big ‘ole smile! (Well, Ben has had some rough mornings, but  we’ve finally turned a corner!)

(E, S, A, B: “Red Rover, Red Rover, let Shiloh come over”)

 

However, as with many children in daycare…my kiddos have been hit hard with the “crud”. Ben has pneumonia, strep throat, pink eye, and an ear infection.

(I just went and snapped these pics as they awoke from their naps- yikes!)

   

Ethan has bilateral ear infections, and bilateral pink eye.

Both are running crazy high fevers (Ben was up to 104 yesterday) and Ben is coughing like crazy. Last night, Sav started running a high fever and coughed all through the night…waking up crying, and drenched in sweat. NEW UPDATE: Spent last night and this morning with Sav in the ER because her symptoms progressed to tachycardia, tachypnea, wheezing & diminished lung sounds in all lung fields (yes, I pulled out the trusty ‘ole stethoscope) and a fever that would not budge. Sav has joined the ranks of Ben with pneumonia. Poor gal. :( She looks a LOT worse than this pic from yesterday.

I ended up sleeping with her in the guest room.  Drew was very sick a couple of weeks ago and I’m guessing that he passed it around to all of his siblings…aww, wasn’t that sweet of him?: (tsk, tsk)

 

I guess this is part of it---since our kids haven’t really been around other children on a consistent basis. But like my sis-in-law, Ashley told me (God love her positivity):  “They are just strengthening their immune systems. And better now, during the summer, so they will be better equipped to fight off the same bugs this fall/winter.” So wise. Love her.

 

So in between breathing treatments and frequent medicating… (Yes, type-A Suz had to make a chart to keep up with all the different meds, ending on different days, taken at different times- now I need to add Sav’s meds to the list!)

…we are resting, eating lots of soup, watching our favorite movies, and washing our hands like crazy.

 

***For the safety and privacy of my family, specific information regarding the school and my place of work will not be disclosed. Thank you so much for your understanding.***