[It's the Little Things] A Selfie

Monday was one of the hardest days that I've had as a mom. Or more accurately - hardest mornings.

Now I know most of you are rolling your eyes at me and saying "her kid is two! how has she never had a hard day before?" but this was different. I've had hard days. I've had hard moments. But this was different.

Recently Mason has been overly whiny and cranky. But usually at night. We think it's because he has been so active at preschool during the day and while he takes a nap there, he either doesn't sleep quite as well as he used to at daycare (or at home) yet or it's just not enough for all the activity he is doing. When he gets home, he's a mess. Whiny. Cranky. Crying. Usually we are able to distract him with a quick episode of Mickey as we get dinner ready though.

Monday morning was a different kind of whiny and cranky.

I had to wake Mason up because although it was my late day to go in to work, I like to keep him on a schedule. We have to leave the house at 7am from Tuesday - Friday so I like to keep it the same on Monday. Plus, they like the kids to all be there by 9am anyways.

I woke Mason up around 6:40am and even though I was being a smart mom (or so I thought) and bringing Mason's milk upstairs to him to try to make waking up more pleasant (since he always wants milk AS SOON AS he wakes up). Wake up was fine. Same as normal. But then when I picked him up and tried to change him.... all hell broke loose. I tried to offer milk and that pushed him over the edge. He chucked the cup on the floor and kicked his diaper changing essentials basket off the dresser and into his laundry hamper. I tried to tell him that was not ok but he wasn't having any of it.

I finally won and was able to change his diaper and get his clothes on but he was still upset. I brought him downstairs and put him down on the couch and he just had a full on meltdown. Screaming. Crying. Running around. Laying on the ground. Hiding in the corner. Screaming.

I explained that he had to use his words (or signs) to tell me if something was wrong. I can't help him if he doesn't tell me what's wrong. Nothing helped. He just kept screaming and crying.

I finally stopped trying because nothing I was doing was helping. I'm sure this wasn't the best option but I needed to get my lunch and stuff ready for work anyway so I went about my business as he cried some more.

After like 2 minutes of that (because really, I can't listen to him cry like that without doing anything), I finally caved and turned on Mickey because I couldn't handle the crying and screaming anymore. Mickey usually helps calm him down and in this case, it actually did help.

Then I was kinda mad.

A two year old just tricked me. I thought something was wrong or he was just having a 'two year old tantrum' but he just fooled me into turning on his tv show. Not ok.

I looked straight at him and in a stern voice explained that he could not cry to get his way.

He could not cry and scream until I turned on his tv show.

If he wanted to watch Mickey, he needed to tell me/show me and sign 'please' for me to turn it on and I would. It's that simple. But crying and screaming until he gets his way is not how we do things.

Of course, no answer, but I at least felt better that I explained myself to him.

Then all of a sudden, more crying. Screaming. Tantrum. Running around crying and screaming.

Then I started to get worried. He was acting like he was actually hurt. I tried to comfort him but he didn't want it. He kicked and screamed until I let go. He kept crying. Flailing on the ground. Rolling around. His arm was under his body like it was hurt. I helped him move it but it was fine. I pulled on his ears a little to see if maybe his ears hurt. Nothing. 

Fine one minute and then screaming the next. I couldn't figure out what was going on.

I tried to comfort him again and this time it worked.

And in that moment I wished for nothing more than to be able to stay home all day with him and cuddle him and make everything better. Make whatever was wrong, stop. 

Comfort him. Hold him. Love him.

But alas, that wasn't reality.

So instead we threw our schedule out the window and I just watched him. Made sure he was ok.

I thought maybe it was his teeth. That has been our default recently because we don't really know what else could be wrong. It's the only thing I can think of that might be fine one minute and then hurt the next. I explained that he needed to drink some milk or eat some waffle so I could give him some Tylenol (I worry that it will hurt his stomach otherwise). He would bring the milk to his mouth like he would drink and then he would start screaming and crying. Maybe the cold was hurting his teeth?

I was at a loss.

I wanted to start crying myself.

I don't even know how to explain it but it was like he was in pain. Like someone or something was physically hurting him. He couldn't catch his breath. He put himself in the corner and was just screaming. It was awful. Awful.

I was finally able to comfort him and calm him down. He finally drank his milk. I felt a small victory.

I gave him some Tylenol - or tried to. That was a HUGE struggle. I tried to explain it would make him feel better but I had to squirt it in his mouth as quickly as possible because he kept turning away. I finally got it all in and then just held him. He finally caught his breath and seemed calm. We watched some Mickey. When I felt like he was calm enough, I packed up his stuff, and we headed out to preschool... over 40 minutes later than I had wanted.

But it didn't matter. That was what he needed. And I gave it to him.

I turned on his 'DJ Shuffle' CD in the car and he pointed at the radio with a huge smile on his face.

We rocked out to 'Sophia the First' and 'Jake and the Neverland Pirates' the whole way to preschool.

We arrived at preschool, he handed over his milk cup, and he hopped out of his car seat.

Little man was happy again!

And we documented with a selfie :)

Sometimes all it takes is taking a little extra time to read the cues of your child to know what's wrong. I don't know if Mason is getting especially frustrated because he can't verbally express what's wrong or what he needs, but I try my hardest to give him the tools to communicate to the best of his abilities. I explain to him that I am here for him. I do need him to help me figure out what he needs, but I am always here for him and want to help him.

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Linking up with Jess from Sadie Sky Boutique and Ashley from Words About Waverly.

Birthday Recap and [Fall Bucket List] Fall Date Night

This weekend was so wonderful! A HUGE THANK YOU to those of you who wished me a Happy Birthday and to those of you who celebrated with me! It means a lot to me that you could partake in my special day!

Not only was it my birthday weekend (and I might have celebrated from Thursday - Saturday!) but we FINALLY had a break in the HOT HOT HOT weather! We got a small taste of fall and there was actually one point one night where I could have used a sweater. A sweater! (I hope I still know where they are since it's been so long...)

Thursday night started the celebration with our family. September 19th is my brother-in-law's brother's birthday as well (but we all just refer to each other as brother-in-laws and sister-in-laws because well, close enough!) so we always celebrate as a big family. This was his year to pick where we went and he made a great choice - Slater's 50/50. For those of you who have been before, it's amazing, right?? And for those of you who haven't... look up their website and GO!

Anyway, Scott is a firefighter and had to work 3 - 24 hour shifts starting on the 19th so we celebrated one day early.

Disclaimer : I ate a lot... and not very good (taste-wise GREAT but health-wise not so good) this weekend. Please be ware of all the food photos coming!

The food at Slater's 50/50 is amazing, but for whatever reason that night took FOREVER to come out. I mean we did have like 20 people so that could have been it, but still, forever. So to kill time, my niece, Emma, and I took some selfies...

The food finally came and it was definitely worth the wait!

I got the bacon brownie sundae for dessert and Scott got something else. Both were delicious! My brother-in-law, Shawn, got one of the maple bacon milkshakes to share and OH. MY. GOODNESS. was it GOOD. Seriously bacon and maple syrup and vanilla ice cream. Heaven.

Friday when I got to work, I had a surprise from some of my co-workers....

... a note on my desk drawer where I keep my purse telling me to open the drawer followed by my whole drawer full of candy!

Then two of my other co-workers bought me lunch.

Our Friday work favorite - Panda Express.

Friday night I went out to dinner with my friends at Javier's and this handsome fella was my date.

Saturday morning we went over to Seth's grandma's house for a lox and bagels breakfast followed by a make-up Gymboree class and a nap for the little guy.

When he woke up we took him to get a hair cut...

...and his favorite part was playing with the trains and the train table (and standing this.close to the tv that was playing a Thomas movie).

After Mason's hair cut, we had our first fall date night ... family date night.

We used it to celebrate my birthday as a family - just us three. And we went to Woodranch - one of my favorite restaurants.

I ordered my favorite drink (raspberry pomegranate martini), had my favorite rolls as an appetizer (they have the BEST rolls!) and ate my favorite salad (BBQ chopped salad with tri tip) for dinner.

It was the perfect end to my birthday weekend and the perfect start of fall.

Sunday we did lots of laundry and grocery shopping, went to swim lessons and Gymboree, and enjoyed a free birthday Starbucks drink.

And when it's free? You always go big.

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Now tell me! What fall fun have you been having?

Pick an item, celebrate Fall, and link up with us!
I would love to see how you and your family are spending Fall.

 Desiree at Macke Monologues | Stephanie at Wife Mommy Me | Elizabeth at Chasin' Mason

An InLinkz Link-up

[BOY MOMS] Tif from Bright on a Budget

Quick little announcement : so sorry to all who wanted to enter the Dear Owen Co. giveaway last week... I don't know what happened to the rafflecopter. I have fixed it now and extended the deadline to enter to Saturday the 27th. To enter : click here. So sorry!!

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Hi there!  My name is Tif and I blog at Bright on a Budget.  I'm an attorney (in-house counsel), wife, and fellow #boymom to Kane, who's almost 16 months old.  I'm also a dedicated bargain hunter, who's committed to never paying full-price for anything.  My blog gives tips, tricks, and deals for beauty, life, and style, helping you to be bright on a budget!

I found out I was pregnant 2 months after my grandma passed away (and 5 days after I found out I passed the bar).  My grandma was like a second mom to me and I was absolutely devastated when she passed away.  While I didn't have a preference about whether I wanted a boy or a girl, I just felt like I was having a girl as soon as those 2 lines popped up on the pregnancy test.  I even had the name picked out, after my grandma's name. Also, all of my friends had girls.  In my mind, a girl would be easier to deal with because I was familiar with girl babies.  And when I let myself think about it, those big bows were awful cute!  It wasn't until maybe a week before my gender ultrasound that I started to think that maybe, just maybe, I wasn't having a girl. . .maybe it was a boy. My husband and I went to Baby Belly Spa at 16 weeks to find out our baby's gender earlier than we could at the doctor.  After a failed try, some walking around, and drinking 5 cups of water, she announced we were having a boy!  Happy tears welled up in my eyes, and I got really excited.  A boy--Kane!

After the excitement calmed down, though, my mind started working overtime (I overanalyze everything).  I hadn't spent much time contemplating a boy, and truth be told, I was nervous.  Girls I could handle. Boys were a whole new ballgame.  Snakes and snails and all that.  I'm a very girly-girl. How was I going to be a good boy-mom???  And let's be honest -- I did mourn those hair bows and frilly dresses just a little.  I determined, however, that I was going to be an awesome boy-mom to Kane, and set out to do just that. When they laid Kane in my arms, I knew then and there that if I never had a girl, that'd be okay -- I'd take a whole football team full of boys any time.

So if you find yourself in this situation of finding out that you're having a boy but feeling a little lost, here's some things you should know: 

 1. Dressing a boy can be just as fun as dressing a girl, and there are some adorable boy clothes out there!  Plus, you don't have to fight to keep that big bow on their head all the time :)

2. The snuggles are awesome. 

 3. You will need to take extra precautions anytime you have that diaper off! 

 4. You'll learn how to be a boy mom, or any other mom for that matter, as you go along--don't expect to know everything up front (except for #3. . .boy moms must know #3). 

 5. You can do something fun for a boy's nursery.  Thanks to Pinterest, you're not stuck with the usual suspects :) I had picked out everything for a girl's nursery, so I let my husband make the final call on what to do Kane's in -- baby bots it was!

6.  If they say "Wow!" in that little voice of wonderment, do not be suckered in by how cute it is -- there's something they've done to which "Wow!" is their reaction, and it probably involves something mischievous!  

 Being a boy mom may not have been what I was expecting, or what I was prepared for, but I wouldn't have it any other way!  The insecurities and fears quickly melted away once I got used to the idea if having a boy -- it just took a slight change in mindset. Kane is almost 16 months old now, and my little boy melts my heart every day.  I love his inquisitiveness, his penchant for getting dirty, and his sweet kisses for mommy!

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If you would like to share a post about you and your son, email me at chasinmasonblog@gmail.com .

I would love to feature you! You don't have to have a blog to participate!

30 things about me on my 30th birthday!

Today is my 30th birthday (eek!) and in honor of my 30th year, I thought I would share 30 things about me that you might not know!

1. I love scarves. Like LOVE. I wear one almost everyday. And not necessarily for warmth.

2. I love Starbucks. The obsession has gotten better but one time in college, my friend and I went 6 times in 5 days.

3. I love country music.

4. I was born and raised in California. And I love living in California, but it is so ridiculously expensive that I feel like I will never be able to buy a house. Which I so DESPERATELY want. Selfishly for me (and my husband), but mostly for Mason. I want to give him a backyard.

5. My brother's birthday is (3 years and) 9 days after mine and we used to have joint parties for as long as I can remember... until I got old enough to request my own.

6. My Grandpa lived in Palm Beach, FL and I had been to DisneyWorld many, many times before I had ever been to Disneyland. And Disneyland was in the same state that I lived in...only 7ish hours away! My first trip to Disneyland was when I was 16 but my first trip to DisneyWorld was when I was...?

7. I have brown hair and blue eyes. I guess that's a rare combination? My biology teacher in 9th grade called me a mutant. How kind.

8. My mom passed away from breast cancer in 2003...when I was 18. She never got to see me graduate college, never got to meet Seth, never got to go to my wedding, never got to meet Mason. I feel like she was robbed of so much and I miss her everyday. BUT, I know she is looking down on us and smiling and is so happy for the life that we have made. Though she might not been able to physically meet them or be there, I know she has "met" them and loves them just as much as I do.

9. Seth and I got married on my mom's birthday in 2010 because I wanted to include her in the wedding. We also had a candle lit in memory of her.

10. My husband and I met at Barnes and Noble... when I was his boss and he was my employee...oops!

11. I hate nuts in my cookies.

12. I hate root beer and have never had a root beer float.

13. When I was little, I hated peanut butter. But I loved PB cups. Explain that logic to me. Kids! Haha.

14. In 8th grade, I first found out I needed glasses. I refused to wear them at first because I HATED them. I would rather squint at the board in school, looking so crazy doing so, rather than wear my glasses. I was stoked when my grandpa (my ophthalmologist) said I could wear contacts. And that's how it's been ever since. I have glasses but I never wear them. They are only in case of "omg my eye is going to fall out and I will go blind if I stick my contacts in my eyes" emergencies. Let's hope this day never comes.

15. I'm almost as obsessed with layering as I am scarves. I ALWAYS wear a tank top under my main shirt, no matter how hot it is outside.

16. I've never broken a bone. {knock on wood} And I'd like to keep it that way.

17. I've also never been stung by a bee. And I'd also like to keep it that way.

18. If I didn't have a job that forced me to get dressed in "real clothes", I would for sure wear sweatpants/yoga pants all day, everyday....even though I've never done yoga (except in college once and I hated it).

19. I don't really like talking on the phone. I'm not really sure why, but I much prefer texting. Impersonal, I know.

20. Two of my biggest fears in life are raw chicken and uncooked eggs. We cook them both a lot, but I literally obsess over the cleanliness in the kitchen if raw chicken is involved.

21. One of my other fears is the garbage disposal. Irrational? Maybe. I know it won't turn on unless I flip the switch, but I have this fear that if I stick my hand/finger in there to get something, it will turn on by itself and chop my finger off. I refuse. And make Seth do it.

22. Another fear is bugs - especially spiders. I don't know how I ended up as a boy mom with this fear! I guess I better get used to them!

23. If I don't write it down, I won't remember it. I try to blame it on old age (ha) or pregnancy (or mom) brain, but honestly, I've always been like that. Which is why I carry my planner around 24-7!

24. Speaking of planners, I much prefer to have a paper planner than to use my phone. I used to use my phone and I swear it was deleting things (or maybe I forgot to input them? see #23 lol) so I got a real planner for Christmas last year. I love using pretty pens and washi tape and decorating it as well as using it for its function.

25. I don't like Pumpkin Spice Lattes. I know, I know. I'm like the only one in the whole world but I don't like the spicy-ness about them. I do love a good Caramel Apple Cider from Starbucks in the Fall though!

26. I fall asleep on the couch more often than I care to admit.

27. I can't cook. But Seth can and does. He can't bake. But I can and do.

28. I hate shorts. Hate them. I never wear shorts, except to bed. I would much rather wear pants even if it is 100 degrees outside. Or more recently, I would rather wear a (long) maxi dress.

29. I love chocolate. If I were to suddenly become allergic to it... I would just deal with it. And still eat chocolate.

30. I love being a mom. A boy mom at that! Seriously. I didn't know how much I would like being a mom until I was pregnant and had that special bond with Mason. A special bond that nobody else could ever have. And then I fell in love instantly with this little person that I had only known for 5 seconds. My greatest joy is watching him grow and learn and mature into the little man that he has become.

Dear Owen Co. giveaway!

You guys! My birthday is TOMORROW. Tomorrow I will be the big 3-0! Can you believe it? I can't! I feel like September was just starting and that my birthday was so far away! Maybe it's because the weather in Southern California is hotter than HOT HOT HOT and it feels more July than September?!

Before we get to my last and final giveaway, I want to say a huge CONGRATS to Desiree Macke for winning the TOMS make up roll giveaway from BYBMG last week. Seriously, Desiree, you are one lucky lady!

Second, I'm so excited to introduce my last giveaway! This giveaway is courtesy of Emily of Dear Owen Co. I've been following Emily for months now and was so excited when she annoucened that she would be opening an Etsy store. She is insanely talented and her eye for design is perfect. I had the pleasure of featuring her on my #BOYMOM series just days before her sweet baby girl Claire was born.

Now for the exciting part! I've partnered up with Emily and she so generously offered to giveaway a $10 credit to her shop to one lucky winner! I mean... just look at her stuff! Swoon. So check out her shop and then enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The raffle will run for one week (12:00am PST on September 18, 2014 to 12:00am PST on September 25, 2014) and the winner will be notified shortly thereafter.

Good luck!

[Featured On] The Girl in the Red Shoes : Breastfeeding Diaries

First of all, let me start off by saying thank you. Seriously. THANK YOU! Thank you all so much for all of your sweet comments yesterday. The way that women in this community encourage and lift each other up is why I felt comfortable sharing what I did. This week has been a little crazy so I wanted to make sure I said thank you but also know I do intend to respond individually to each of you as well.

Second, I'm so excited to share that I am guest posting on Julie's blog, The Girl in the Red Shoes, today for her Breastfeeding Diaries series.

A little sneak peak...

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I'm a planner. I like to have things organized and know what will happen when. So when I was pregnant, I got information on maternity leave and benefits and all that fun stuff way in advance (earlier than my HR department thought I needed it, but hey, I wanted to be prepared). When I was pregnant, before I even had Mason, I knew I wanted to breastfeed. And I also knew that I would need to go back to work when he was three months old, which would lead to pumping at work. I had a lot of anxiety about where I would pump once I went back to work. I work at a bookstore at a community college and there isn't a lot of privacy anywhere. You see, we have security cameras...everywhere. Well everywhere except for the bathroom and offices that have too many windows or no doors at all. Obviously I wasn't going to pump in the bathroom or in an office with no door. So, I started planning early. I contacted the Director of the Health Center and she so graciously offered to let me to come over to pump whenever I needed to. I had my plan in place. I thought I had all my ducks in a row... I had a pump, I had the parts and the bottles, I had the place, and I had a fridge to keep the milk in. I was set...or so I thought.

Then, July 18, 2012 happened and I became a mom! It was the most amazing experience I had ever had. (You can read his birth story here). I knew I wanted to try to breastfeed him right away and the hospital and the nurses were all about that. They immediately brought him over to me and we started feeding. He actually did quite well the first time and I was pleasantly surprised. I even thought "wow, this breastfeeding thing is going to be easy!".

Ahh, naive first mom thoughts.

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To read the whole story, click here

Preschool Update + a link up!

preSCHOOL.

I still can't believe that my BABY is in SCHOOL.

It's been two full weeks of school now and I have to admit, these have been some of the craziest two weeks of my life. I haven't really talked about it much on the blog (because I have been hesitant to get too personal with a world of people that I don't know in person), but Mason has a speech delay. As in he doesn't talk. At all. Has no words. He's been going to speech therapy twice a week for 30 minutes per session since March. When I found out that there was a preschool at the place he goes for speech, I immediately found out more. I found out that they accept kids ages 2 and up and they don't have to be potty trained. So I immediately put Mason on the waiting list and come the beginning of July, I received a phone call saying that he could start on September 2. I, of course, accepted.

I've been dying to hear his little voice. Hear what it sounds like. Hear what he has to say. Hear how his day was. Hear him tell me he wants to watch Mickey. Hear him tell me he loves me. Hear him say anything. But that say still has not come. He has more recently found his voice but it most often shows itself as screams of excitement rather than words. I have noticed that things have been getting better since he started therapy. He uses signs and uses them correctly. He will walk over to us, hand us a toy, and sign "please". We know that this means that he wants us to turn the toy on. Or he will walk over to the chip drawer, grab his snack of choice, bring it to us, and sign "please". He wants to eat. He understands what we say to him and for the most part, we understand what he needs. We don't think it is hearing related because he does understand what we tell him to do and he does it appropriately though we haven't been able to fully test him because he won't keep the ear phones on his ears long enough to tell each ear's hearing capability.

And I have noticed that things have gotten better since he started preschool... which gives me great hope. The other day I handed him his socks (that I had bunched together) and he pulled them apart. I said "and now you have two" and he said "tuh" like he was trying to say two. Totally unprompted. He's been starting to say "tuh" also for truck. And the other day when we went to see dinosaurs, we asked him what a dinosaur says and he said "ruhhhhh!" for roar. They might sound like little things to you, but to us, it's a step in the right direction.

That being said, here's how he's been doing in preschool for the past couple weeks.

Day 1 - Tuesday, September 2.
Drop off went WAY better than expected. So good in fact that we opened the door to the room that he was supposed to be in and he ran inside. Without giving me (or Seth) a hug or kiss. Break. My. Heart. Kid. BUT at the same time, I was so happy that he was so excited. I did check on him once during the day just to make sure he was ok and the teacher said he did really well, ate really well, and napped well too.
Pick up went well also! He basically didn't want to leave because he was having so much fun playing with the train table. The teachers said that he did really well and he even napped for two hours (on a NAPPING PAD!). He did get a boo boo (on his first day of course) and they sent home an "incident report" to let us know what happened and what they did about it (he just tripped and bumped his head but he was ok).

Day 2 - Wednesday, September 3.
Drop off went really well again! I opened the door and Mason ran inside - straight to the train table. No hug or kiss again for me (it was only me who did drop off this time) which I was ok with because he was so happy. I told the teachers to have a good day and I was off. I even had the naive thought that "wow! this was WAY easier than I thought". Hahaha.
Pick up went ok. Mason ran to Seth but was crying. We think maybe it was confusing to him that all the other kids were getting picked up and he wasn't and so he was upset but happy to see Daddy come to get him. The teachers noted that day 2 was harder than day 1 but still not bad. They also noted how good of an eater Mason is.

Day 3 - Thursday, September 4.
Drop off was harder. Mason cried. I tried to comfort him, but ultimately I had to hand him off to one of the teacher's and just leave. It breaks my heart to leave him when he is crying, but I feel like sometimes he uses me as a crutch and if I am there, he wants me to hold him. But if I leave, he cries for a minute until he realizes all the fun things he has to play with.
Pick up was harder also. But harder in a good way? Seth showed up to pick Mason up and he didn't want to leave. So much so that he threw himself on the floor next to the train table and cried because his daddy was so mean taking him away from his favorite toy EVER. I swear we can have a similar toy and he wants nothing to do with it, but put it somewhere else and he LOVES it. Seth eventually won that battle and a temper tantrum later, the two of them headed home.

Day 4 - Friday, September 5.
Drop off was hard. Seth dropped Mason off since I had to work early. Mason cried and didn't want Daddy to leave. The teacher helped by taking Mason out of Seth's arms and walked him to the window to watch Seth leave. Not sure if that helped or not, but they were able to calm him down.
Pick up was hard again, but in a different way. Mason must have seen other kids leave and thought that Daddy wasn't going to come get him or something because when Seth got there, he ran to him, crying, and grabbing him like he was SO happy he was there and he didn't forget him. So sad. And so weird. Seth is always there and it wasn't any later than normal so I don't know what prompted him to be so scared.

Day 5 - Monday, September 8.
Drop off was HARD. Mason bawled his little eyes out and grabbed onto me and climbed into my lap. He didn't want me to leave. Monday's are usually like this so I didn't really think too much of it though it was hard to watch. I tried to comfort him a little but I think it was just making it worse. I handed him over to one of his teachers and quickly left. I know he is ok and he loves preschool, but it's just so hard to leave him upset in the morning.
Pick up was hard because Mason didn't want to leave. He was having so much fun and didn't want to go home. He threw himself on the ground when he saw that Daddy was there to take him home and had a temper tantrum. Seth picked him up, calmed him down, and gave him some snacks in the car on the way home.

Day 6 - Tuesday, September 9.
Drop off was better. Still a little crying, but nothing like Monday. I told him I loved him and left him to play with his friends.
Pick up was the same as Day 5.

Day 7 - Wednesday, September 10.
Drop off was better. We ran into one of his teachers, Miss Bobbi, in the hallway. I asked her a question and she took Mason from he so he didn't have a chance to get upset. I'm not sure if he noticed that I was gone or not, but she was able to transition him into the class room without any crying.
Pick up was the same as Day 5.

Day 8 - Thursday, September 11.
Drop off was hard but was better. I put Mason down to walk in to the classroom and he started crying. Not quite as bad as earlier this week. I walked him in to his classroom and told him to play with his friends. Crying. I told him to show me the train table. That we watch trains on TV. Crying. Other kids start to walk over and offer me a barrel of monkeys to play with. Mason sort of stops crying. I hand the monkeys back and another little girl tries to grab my scarf and comments on it. I walk over to the teacher to ask her a question and Mason wanders to the train table. He is happy. He is not crying. I get my answer and tell her I'm going to leave before he notices I'm still there. I quickly sneak out and peek in on him through the window and see he is having fun. I leave to go to work.
Pick up was the same as Day 5. Mason threw himself on the ground crying and screaming because he didn't want to stop playing and come home.

Day 9 - Friday, September 12.
Drop off was a little easier because Seth dropped him off after his follow up hearing test. Mason had gotten to sleep in a little longer and was happier, even after the "mean people" kept trying to put head phones on him that he didn't like. However once he realized Daddy was leaving, he was not happy and started crying. Seth handed Mason off to one of the teachers and left to go to work.
Pick up was the same as Day 5.

Day 10 - Monday, September 15.
Drop off was easier than I expected. Mason cried when I took him out of the car and wanted me to carry him in. I obliged and he, of course, had the biggest smile on his face. I check him in and set him down to walk into the classroom and he starts to get a little fussy and whiny. We brought his sippy cup with us this morning so I hand it to him and tell him to bring it to Miss Bobbi. He grabs the cup from my hand and walks right into the room like a big boy. I hear one of the teachers say good morning to him and he shows her his cup. I say "bye! have a good day!" to anyone willing to listen and quickly shut the door. I drop off a change of clothes in his cubby and look through the window on my way out. He's at the train table... of course. But at least he's happy and not crying!
Pick up was better. Mason was watching some of the bigger kids play a train game on the TV when Seth walked in. Mason an Seth made eye contact, Mason got a huge smile on his face and... threw himself on the ground and cried because he didn't want to leave. Seth walked over, picked him up, and... he was fine. Happy again. Toddlers. So weird.

I am confident that Mason is in the best place for him. He is surrounded by teachers who are trained to help kids who have speech delays. His speech teacher checks him out twice weekly for his speech classes and leaves us little notes as to how good he is doing and what they are working on. It is so much easier for us since we don't have to leave work in the middle of the day and take him to his speech classes (though we would do anything for him in a heart beat and have been since March) and it is so much better for him. He is learning and thriving and growing. I can see a difference in him already. Though he has not made any huge strides, it has only been two weeks. 

Drop offs and pick ups have been hard. I hate to see Mason upset or cry. It gives me anxiety. I feel like I am abandoning him when he needs me the most. I know he is safe. I know he is happy after I leave. But right then, when he is crying and grabbing for me, I can't help but feel helpless, like I am leaving him in this strange place where he doesn't know anyone. That he is scared and he needs his mom. I know how I would feel if I were all alone, didn't know anyone, in a strange new place. But what I need to realize is that it is only temporary. It is only the third week now. And Mason probably doesn't even feel the way I imagine he does. He is probably happy all day. He is social. I'm sure he has already made new friends. I just need to get creative. If I am there, he wants me. But if I can get him in the room without him seeing me leave, we are both better off. Pick up might stay hard for a while because when Seth gets there, Mason is so happy to be there, that he doesn't want to leave. I hope he always loves his school this much, but I do wish it were easier for Seth in the afternoons.

I am SO PROUD of my baby and how well he is doing. He makes me such a proud mama.

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And while we're on the subject of Fall and back to school.... I have some exciting news!

Now that the "cooler" temperatures have arrived here in Southern California (HA! by cooler I mean it was only 98 yesterday since of 100 like Sunday!), it’s time to DECORATE FOR FALL!

Yep, even though it's hotter than it was over the summer, I'm starting to celebrate Fall anyway. I plan to hit up the Dollar Section at Target this weekend and maybe Hobby Lobby to find some festive decorations to put up (high up so Mason doesn't tear them down!). But it wouldn't be Fall without a Fall Bucket List to mark fun, family adventures off our list!

Does that list not make you ache for weekends filled with family fun? In true Mom blogger fashion, I've teamed up with Desiree over at Macke Monologues and Stephanie at Wife Mommy Me to bring a weekly linkup that will allow us to share our 2014 Fall Fun on our blogs and with our readers. Each Tuesday, starting next week, September 23rd (which just happens to be the official first day of Fall!) you can share with us what Fall bucket list item you've checked off your list.

So pick an item, start celebrating Fall, and come back next Tuesday and link up with us! I would love to see how you and your family spend Fall.

Grab our Fall Family Bucket List Button (just right click the photo and add it to your post) and be sure to link up with one of the three hosts next week: Desiree, Stephanie, or myself!