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Back to Nursery School

Posted on September 10, 2011 9:46 am by TheAngelForever

Dear JSL,

On Tuesday you went with me to drop NHL off to school. Then, it was time to head over to your school to meet and greet everyone. You would not be staying alone, it was just a quick visit. On the way in we stopped for a first day photo like we did last year.

Then we had to wait a while before it was time to go into your classroom. We looked at the photos of all of the teachers on the bulletin board. While there, you had some fun being silly and asked me to take a bunch of photos.

Finally, it was time to head in and find your cubby. We found everything and suddenly you started to cry. You were sad because you thought I was going to be leaving. I think you were a bit overwhelmed because of so many new faces. Your best buddies from last year were not back, or in another classroom. It was a lot for a four year old. We all reassured you that everything was ok, and went to sit and work on your star of the week bag.

Then you wanted to explore the room. Miss L showed you were the blocks were. You sat there so happy making a structure that kept getting bigger and bigger.

There have been tears most mornings, but the smile on your face at the end of the day tells the story. I know you are going to have a fantastic year playing, learning, and growing. Before we know it, you are going to be a kindergarten kid. For now, I want to cherish this time which includes a fun apple picking field trip together soon.

Love,

Mommy

__________________

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Dear Kid Saturday jsl milestone photos school

The Start of School 2011

Posted on September 7, 2011 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

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jsl milestone nhl school Wordless Wednesday

Back to School 2011

Posted on September 3, 2011 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Dear NHL and JSL,

In just a few short days both of you will be heading back to school. We have had a lot of fun this summer. Neither of you went to camp, but we kept busy. We went to the library and crafting events, had adventures in the park, and just tried to stay cool any way possible.

Sure some days may have seemed like they were never going to end, but no matter how frazzled I was – I love spending my days with both of you. I am truly lucky to be able to watch both of you grow, learn, and laugh in front of my eyes. I do miss teaching, but this time with both of you is priceless.

Just four years ago I sent NHL off to school for the first time. Now JSL, you will be going to nursery school five days a week. I will miss those two special days that we had together last year. It was fun having these years home with you. I know we will work together on writing and pre-reading skills since you want to read like your big brother. Please be prepared that I will likely cry next year when you, my baby, go to kindergarten for the entire day.

This summer you conquered chapter books. You read a good amount of them and tried a few different series. I love watching you devour the books and chat with me about the story. NHL, I can not wait to see all that is out there for you to learn and discover in the third grade. We have met your teacher and I am positive it will be an amazing year. You want to do multiplication, division, and more. I know you can do anything you put your mind to and will show everyone just how smart and capable you are.

Boys, remember to follow your dreams, do the best that you can, and know that I will always be there for both of you cheering you on.

Love,

Mommy

_______________________________________

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arts and crafts Dear Kid Saturday fun jsl looking back nhl photos play time school summer

A Kid and His Disney Stuffed Friends

Posted on August 31, 2011 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

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Disney jsl laughs Wordless Wednesday

Taking Your Toddler to an Amusement Park

Posted on August 28, 2011 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Growing up, my family went to amusement parks a lot. We traveled to Disney World, Sesame Place, Hershey Park, Six Flags, Busch Gardens, and countless other locations up and down the east coast. I have heard stories and seen countless photos of myself with Mickey Mouse as a toddler and even younger. Most of my personal memories of trips are from the time I was in kindergarten and beyond.

With the summer winding down and families planning trips for next year, many parents find themselves wondering if their child is too young to go to an amusement park. The answer in my mind is not to wait. You will make memories for your child to look back at in scrap books, and more important ones that you will hold close to your heart

When my husband and I were married, we said that one day we wanted to take our children to Disney World in Orlando. Our oldest son was born in 2003, so we said we would wait until he was ready to appreciate the experience. In December 2008, we made a decision to go on our first big family vacation to Walt Disney World the following spring. We knew that five year old NHL would adore it, but what about JSL who would turn two while there?

I spent countless hours researching restaurants, stroller rentals, diaper changing areas and other toddler must haves in an amusement park. I made a list of rides that would be suitable for my toddler, others that my older son could go on and we learned all that we could about child swap option (many other parks have similar policies). The child swap allowed us to get a pass for the other parent to ride on without a long wait while we swapped out staying with our little guy. This was fantastic and helped to cut down on more wait time with a toddler. Finding resources online from other parents, reading books and knowing my child were the most helpful items.

The truth is, toddlers will have fun in any location that you take them. If they see you laughing and smiling, chances are they will too. My son adored his time at Disney World. Will he remember that trip years from now? We may never know, but my husband and I will. We often look back at the trip photos with our now three year old and he points to the objects and cheers. If the opportunity to go comes along, take it and enjoy the special time with your family

Have you ever brought your toddler or younger child to an amusement park? Let me know how it went and please leave tips for others in the comments below.

If you plan on going to Walt Disney World, let me know. I have a slew of resources that are amazing in addition to my posts here on The Angel Forever.

Disclosure: This post was previously published on a project I worked on. The text is the same, but I placed additional photos and the question at the end for my blog.