All this for Pre-K?

Today was quite the experience…Jen and I went to an open house for Owen’s Pre-K class at St. Jude. No he hasn’t been accepted yet. You read that right, you have to be accepted into Pre-K. I thought that was only for movie stars who live in NYC, but apparently it is also for IT guys who live in BR. This application and acceptance process is stressing us out, but we just keep in mind that whatever happens will work out and we have to acknowledge that these are some of the trials and tribulations of being a parent.


So we go to the open house and see some faces we recognize from Jefferson Baptist and around BR and that was comforting. We took a tour of the school, talked to some parents and teachers and really like the school, even though one administrator left a bad taste in our mouths, overall, we feel good about St. Jude.

Now the bad news.

We found out that out of 48 spots for Pre-K, there are about 12 for outsiders who don’t have an older brother or sister already at the school. Awesome. So we have to have a backup plan (or 2). The program that Owen is currently in requires a $160 NON-REFUNDABLE deposit to reserve his spot at Jefferson Baptist and this is obviously due prior to when we find out if he is accepted to St. Jude. Awesome #2. So, we are now considering a 3rd option and yet another non-refundable deposit (is this even legal for churches to do????). St. George which has a Kindergarten class designed for kids like O whose birthdays fall on the cutoff line and could probably make it in Kindergarten, but would benefit from another year, resulting in them being the older kids in class, essentially, holding them back a year. Great, sounds perfect. St. George is on my way to work, is only about 5 minutes further away from our house that St. Jude, and sounds like a good fit. They require a $100 non refundable application fee, and due to the fact that we are “out of the parish” and “not a recognized donor” to the church, we would have to get approval from our parish to go there if accepted and pay more tuition because who really has enough money to be recognized as a donor for every church in the city of baton rouge? I am fuming at the situation as I am sure many other parents are, but there simply isn’t any other choice as the EBR public school system is horrid at best. I am slowly beginning to accept this as our new normal, entering into the world of Catholic education. This is really the only year that I think we will have issues with the process as once Owen is enrolled somewhere, P, J, and B are all accepted by default.

So to sum it up, we have 3 options – St. Jude, Jefferson Baptist, and St. George, we have who knows how much money will be tied up in non-refundable deposits, and we are basically leaving it up to God (and various admissions personnel) to decide where Owen will end up for Pre-K.

Oh, and I somehow have to figure out how to pay for actual tuition. Awesome #3.

Same but different.

Parker and Jack came home with their Christmas photos from school the other day.  Owen was looking at them so I asked him who was who.  Of course he named his bros correctly so I asked him how he could tell them apart.  He replied:

"Dad, they have the same face, but Dad, they don't have the SAME face."

Exactly son, that is what we have been trying to tell everyone this whole time!!!

7 years ago

On this day in 2004, I received this note when I went to pick up Jen for dinner at her apartment.  We were going to The Melting Pot and celebrating her acceptance into nursing school...or at least that is what she thought.

During dinner, she told me that we should definitely wait to get engaged/married until after nursing school so she can just focus on school.  After internally freaking out because her engagement ring was in my pocket, I decided to ignore that suggestion and ask her anyway.  I figured a diamond would change that tune real quick!!

After asking her to marry me and Jen responding with "I don't feel so good" I had to ask again...when she FINALLY said yes!  That was a pretty long 9 seconds if I have to be honest with you.  In her defense, after that initial conversation,  I think she was caught a little off guard.

Jen forgot all about saying that she wanted to wait as we called our parents to tell them the big news.  When Sissy found out, she yelled so loud in Middleton library that they asked her to leave!!!!!

That night was one if the best memories I have.  I am so thankful for my best friend and all the happiness she continues to bring me. 

I love you Jen.  Thanks for saying yes.

Thanksgiving 2011

This Turkey Day adventure starts out with a 14 hour ride to SC with 4 kids. Yes, I am thankful…thankful that it is over.

Actually, it really wasn’t a bad drive to see MawMaw, PawPaw, Nana, and Aunt Kelly. Ignoring the 4 year old who averaged an “Are we there yet” type of statement 6 times an hour for 14 hours and it really couldn’t have been better. We didn’t hit bad traffic; didn’t have any explosive diaper situations, there was minimal crying from me Ben and we arrived safe and sound.

On Sunday, Jen and I were able to take a mountain retreat, sans children, to see Mimi and Uncle Jack. With BOGO Starbucks holiday drinks in hand, we got back in the car and drove about 2 hours west toward Ashville to Flat Rock, NC. We went on a chilly dusk boat ride, had terrific BBQ, saw a deer in the driveway, hiked up Glassy Mountain, and ate outside at the Wrinkled Egg, it was great. Oh yeah, then there was Jen’s terrible allergic reaction to the 7 cats at Hillgay…but other than that, it was great!!

Back to reality on Monday, everyone was good while we were gone and over the next couple of days we crammed in as many relaxing activities as we could:

1. Numerous trips to the Grandparents Park playing on the swings, slides, and jungle gym.
2. O’s trip to “Rescovery Place.”
3. A Trip to Caribou Coffee.
4. Walking and running the hills of Sun City Carolina Lakes.
5. Golf cart rides on Lucy.
6. An Excellent Thanksgiving Day Feast.
7. An LSU Tiger victory over Arkansas.
8. Late Night/Early Morning Black Friday shopping adventures.
9. A Chinese lunch date with Nana.
10. A Visit with Aunt C.
11. Countless shopping trips to Harris Teeter.
12. Mani/Pedi trip for the girls.
13. A few naps.

Another 14 hour ride home but this time, Jen found it effective to let Owen know quickly that that she didn’t want to hear him talk about “not being able to see our house yet” which surprisingly kept him pretty quiet until around Mobile (a solid 9 hours). We participated in 3 trips to the McDonald’s play place (which apparently sponsored our trip) and consumed practically a full bottle of Germ-X due the that very sponsorship, but we all survived until Denham Springs. How does this place, or what I like to call “Baton Rouge’s armpit,” have traffic at 6pm on a Sunday night, heading INTO the city? I was about to lose it, Owen had to pee, it was dark, and we were all tired and READY to be out of the car.

Thankfully, we finally took the back way and got off the interstate. GaGa and Pops were waiting for us when we got to the house, dinner prepped and fridge stocked with milk and bread so we didn’t have to run out that night. The kids were fed, bathed, and put to bed so Jen and I were able to relax after that car ride.  That was definitely a huge help!!

All in all it was a great trip, just a few hiccups here and there, but we made it and hopefully as the kids get older, it will continue to get easier. Next item on the to-do list for our summer trip: Cracker Barrel. Yes, we might actually be insane.

Ben’s Best Friend

Ben is 15 months old and has a best friend…his name is Elmo. He cannot get enough of Elmo. I am afraid that Ben will begin speaking in the 3rd person as Elmo does because that is how much Ben is in love with him. Anywhere he sees Elmo, Ben will point him out - on TV, in books, petting a stuffed animal, looking at the Pampers diapers with his picture on them, and most recently, staring at a random balloon at the grocery store so far away that Jen insisted to Ben that there was no Elmo around. Its gotten so out of control that the first 3 people that Ben asks for when he wakes up and wants to get out of his crib are:

1. Mommieeeeeee
2. Daddieeeeeeeee
3. Elmoooooooooo

The kid is obsessed with Elmo.

Fosstule Bosstule Returns

Our magical elf has returned from the North Pole and Owen is even more excited about him this year. P and J just repeat his name and point to him unknowing what significance he has for Christmas. Awesome. Maybe next year he will earn his keep with those two, until then, we apparently can’t hold the idea of not having Christmas presents over their heads so they will behave.

Anyway, we pull out the book and read it again while not one of our children had absolutely any interest in it. Fortunately, Owen did remember that:

1. You can never touch him.
2. He goes to the North Pole and tells Santa if you have been bad or good.
3. He is magical.

Hopefully this year, Fosstule will remember to fly to a different location in our house everyday so that Owen knows he went to the North Pole the night before. Mommy and Daddy don’t want to have to tell Owen that he just chose the exact same spot as the day before. That was kind of a tough sell last year, not sure it will go over at all this year.

PS, we have discussed, but are unsure what the answer will be, when Owen sees Fosstule at Target and wonders why he is there, sitting in a box, instead of staying at our home. Any suggestions?

O's Thanksgiving Feast 11/18/11

Our little Indian.