Walker makes headlines again

I was going through photos tonight, organizing the month of August into a folder, when I came across this picture.  

Erik casually commented, "You should send that into The Boer Goat Magazine."

So I did.  Here is what I wrote.

Dear Editor,

Below is a photo I took of my son, Walker,  age 5, as he reclined in his dad's chair and enjoyed the latest issue of The Boer Goat magazine (just like his dad d

oes every time he receives a new issue in the mail).  Although Walker doesn't know how to read just yet, he sure did a good job of studying the pictures accompanying the articles and advertisements.  In fact, he'll be using photos clipped from your magazine for his "All About Me" project for his first day of Kindergarten on September 8.  

We appreciate the quality of The Boer Goat magazine and look forward to receiving each new issue. 

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Jennifer R. Schwalm

Imagine my surprise when I almost immediately got this response:

Your son is adorable! (Don't tell him. I know boys hate that.) I don't know whether to put Walker's photo in "Kid Corner" or in "Letters to the editor" but you can count on seeing it in one place or the other!

Thanks for writing and a special thanks for your praise. I usually don't hear from the readers until I do something wrong.

Billye Viner

If you'll send me your address, I'll send you an "uncut" copy.

Now I know none of you get "The Boer Goat Magazine" but as a goat farmer, trust me, there is no greater honor!

Walker's going to flip.  Now he'll have something cool to show at "show and tell."

Walker, if you are older and reading this, be thankful I was running behind that day.  If I had not been running late, you wouldn't have gotten exasperated with me, sat down in Daddy's chair and picked up the magazine to keep busy.  Then I wouldn't have seen you, gotten

 emotional seeing you sit in the chair like your dad and I wouldn't have run to get the camera and take your picture.  Then I wouldn't have had a picture to submit to "The Boer Goat"

 magazine and none of this would have happened.  So there - don't be mad at me when I'm running late!

Thanks to Billye Viner for being so nice and putting Walker in the magazine.  

And if you think I'm avoiding the fact that this little monster will be starting Kindergarten in 4 days, you're right.  We're not talking about that right now.  In fact, Walker and I have made a deal.  He is convinced that he is going to be bored at Kindergarten and he is angry that he will not have time to play with his sister because, (Please read the following and insert giant sobs, blubbering words, and sniffles.  Oh, a few hiccups would make the effect more realistic also). "She will be in preschool in the mornings" (two days a week), "and I will be at school after lunch.  We will not have time to play with each other!"  

Sob, sob, hold breath, hiccup, wail.  

Oh, sorry.  That's not me describing Walker's conversation with me anymore.  That's me imagining my baby getting on the big school bus and going to school.

Allright.  Enough.  I'm headed to the firesafe to look for Walker's birth certificate.  I think I have the date wrong.  It is not possible for this baby to be old enough to go to Kindergarten yet.  He can't be 5.  I think they recorded his birth year wrong.  They must have because I'm sure five years have not passed so quickly.  If five years went this fast - how fast will the next 12 go?  

That's it.  Maggie & Will are not allowed to grow up.  Do you hear me Maggie & Will?  I forbid you from getting older!  You will not go to Kindergarten.  You will stay little and live here forever!  END OF DISCUSSION!  YOU WILL NOT END UP LIKE YOUR BROTHER - going to school like a big boy.  Who does he think he is anyway?  A big kid now?  Well, I got news for him.  No matter where you go, no matter what you do, Timothy Walker Schwalm, you will always be my baby!

Maggie's first day of 2 day preschool

Today was Maggie's first day of Preschool!

We started off with the breakfast of her choice.  Chocolate pannycakies.  

Look at those hoodlums.  What a trio.  Can you tell we were out later than we planned doing corn at Travis & Julia's?  We were only 1/2 an hour off, but Maggie was really the only one happy to be awake!This girl loves her chocolate pancakes (chocolate chip pancakes to the rest of the world).

Here is Maggie's back pack.  She got this last year for Christmas and decided she didn't need a new one.  Part of me is glad to have saved the $10 but part of me feels like she should have gotten a new one.  For what?  I don't know.  It just must be that "mom guilt".

She did get to pick out a lunch box even though she really didn't need one.  Ok, I've absolved myself of the mom guilt - she got an unnecessary lunch box.   Her world is complete with princesses and tinker bell.   On  a side note:  we were at Kmart on Sunday and Will pointed to an outfit and kept saying "bell, bell" - I looked up and it was a Tinkerbell outfit.  He's so smart!

Here's my angel all dressed and ready for school.  I stayed up last night and made her new korker hair bows.  She didn't want her hair pulled back - just one barrette off to the side.  I can't believe how long her hair has gotten since last year!  She's getting so big.
Walker wouldn't pose with them today.  He was a little jealous of the fact that Maggie was going to school before him.  He doesn't start until next Tuesday and even though we were headed to His School after we dropped Maggie off for HIS orientation, he was still being a bugger and refused to take a group picture.  Next week will be an entirely different story though when we have HIS first day of Kindergarten!  Look at that Willie J posing with his big sis!  What a cutie.  He absolutely loves those crocs even though they are purple and are Maggie's - he thinks they are his and they are doggies so he loves them.  Who cares?  I'm happy he has a pair of shoes he can put on all by himself!

Now Maggie gets to pose alone.  Nana got Maggie this outfit at Old Navy on Sunday.  She has been so excited to wear it.  I found her the peep toe shoes at Walmart and she's even wearing new panties.  I had to get her some school panties b/c so many of her panties are stained - not from accidents - but from falling in  or playing in the mud and dirt here at the farm.  I never thought to pre-treat them for stains until I realized how many of her panties were stained and dirty and thought about a teacher seeing them.  So, we bought a brand new package of Tinkerbell panties too.   

Phew!  Now at least if she has an accident at school, she'll have had clean panties.
Willie had to get out his lunch box just in case.
Maggie showing off her back pack again.
If you can imagine it, we were late getting to school.  As I was ready to pack up to leave, Walker all of a sudden decides HE is ready to have is picture taken.  I try to calmly explain that "we do not have time for individual pictures.  If you wanted a picture today, you should have taken one with your sister on her first day of school like you did with her on YOUR first day of school!  Now GET IN THE CAR!"  

He was not happy about this and dragged his feet until I actually got in the car, put it in gear, and said, "See ya!" then he came running.  

We got Maggie through the door a little bit late.  That's why I like going back to places I'm familiar with - they know what to expect from us Schwalm's!

So we leave Maggie at preschool, rush home to meet Kevin & Jacob - I'm babysitting today, and get ready to go to the Primary Center where Walker will go to Kindergarten.  While we were home for that 15 minutes, Walker manages to get stung by a yellow jacket.  We unfortunately had a yellow jacket problem - it wasn't bad until it started getting so cold out, but Sunday night, they started coming in looking for warmth in the house!  I called a guy yesterday and had it treated, but even though they are dying, they are somehow getting in the house.  We have them in the laundry room and the dining and living rooms.  Walker was innocently pushing his truck through the dining room and accidentally put his hand on one and got stung.  He freaked out and then freaked out worse because the ice pack I gave him after I treated the sting was  . . .  wait for it . . . 

TOO COLD!

So I load up a 5 1/2 year old, a two year old and a one year old and rush over to Knoch listening to the 5 1/2 year old wailing like a banshee.  We get to the turn at the school and I say, "We are almost there" and the tears and wailing instantly stop.  We get unloaded and go right into the school.  Walker's room is the first one on the right and Mrs. Minner was waiting for all of us to arrive.  She led Walker right to a little desk, gave a small speech about the school year, told us what she needed us to do and have for the year and then the kids got to look for their cubby and explore the room.  We then headed out to the front of the school so the kids could take a bus

 ride to get some experience with the school bus.  That was pretty wrenching for me.  Walker climbed up the steps to that big bus with no fear and got right on - I could see him walk down the aisle, choose a seat and slide over to the window to look for me.  He had a small moment of panic when he couldn't see me right away, but then I waved and he smiled that toothless grin back, and all was OK.  They went off on their ride, came back and unloaded and our orientation was over.  One hour of complete calm, happy, NORMAL, Walker.  

We load up again, pull out of the parking lot and all of a sudden, "WAHHHH!!"  Walker's finger started to hurt again.  We had some time to kill before picking up Maggie, so we stopped at the grocery store and picked up some popsicles and milk and then went to pick her up.  The crying and wailing commenced yet again.  And again, the ice bag was too cold.

Once at Maggie's school, I saw one of Walker's old preschool buddies, Kendyl.  I said, "Hey, Walker, I see Kendyl.  Want to get out and see her?"  and the crying stopped and he came into the building with me.  We waited patiently and soon we saw these little critters emerge from

 their classroom, not quite understanding how to proceed in a straight line.

Maggie of course, hose nose Harriet, had to separate from the line so she could see out over everyone to make sure she knew what was going on!  She was funny!

All the kids were so excited to see their mommies and/or daddies and all had smiling faces - no tear streaks were evident at all.  It was a good day.  

Once home, Maggie told me she learned about the "letter song, sitting on the carpets, and kiss koss sauce." Which is "criss cross-applesauce" the new terminology for sitting "Indian style" or crossed legged on the floor.  

Overall, she had a very fun day.  I feel a little guilty because the day was not anything like it was Walker's first day of school.  There was no moments of quiet and calm - we hurried through the morning and there was little time to anticipate how Maggie was doing at school while we waited for her at home.  I suppose it was a good thing - it's inevitable when you have multiple children.  I try to remind myself of the saying that "Fair" isn't that everybody gets the same thing but that everybody gets what they need - and Maggie did.  She doesn't know that her first day of preschool was any different than Walker's first day of preschool - but I do.  I guess I'm just going to have to get used to all the differences and realize ways to make the differences special.  It's hard for me because I'm the one that wants to make these memories special for the kids, but I don't think they really will remember anything I did or didn't do.  Who knows? I'm

 sure in 10 years, I'll get an earful from their therapists.

Maggie got to pick what we eat tonight since it was her special first day of school and of course, she chose "Rabioli."  Hopefully over supper we will all be able to sit down and talk about the day in a more calm manner, let the kids tell their stories and have some fun.  I'm sure if I ever look back at this blog and read this entry, I will be shocked at what actually happened vs. what I remember happening.  

Hopefully I'll never forget this: