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Playgroup in Tucson 2009

post #1 of 240
9/22/09 at 2:28pm
Thread Starter 
Here's our new thread. Welcome to all old and new members.
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post #2 of 240
9/22/09 at 2:29pm
Thread Starter 
Does anyone want to do something tomorrow around 12:30 or 1? I'm thinking TBG or zoo.
post #3 of 240
9/22/09 at 6:38pm
Woo!!! New thread!

We disappeared because I got a stomach virus and was miserable and sick.

Danielle, I'm sorry about your tough situation. We have to call our landlord tonight and I can ask if they have any shorter-term houses available in town.

Jen, sorry I haven't been useful in planning a time for the swap or movie viewing. And now you guys are off on an adventure soon!

Pam, how is school going?!?! Rob will be in charge of Carter tomorrow afternoon, and I'll have him call you post-nap if they are up for joining you guys somewhere. we have memberships at the zoo and TBG, so either generally works for us.

Everybody else-- hi! Park Thursday? Yes? Yes?
post #4 of 240
9/22/09 at 6:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mybabysmama View Post
Does anyone want to do something tomorrow around 12:30 or 1? I'm thinking TBG or zoo.
We would be up for the zoo
post #5 of 240
9/22/09 at 7:51pm
i will be in town wed. AND thurs. so both days will work. i have a prenatal appt at 1 tomorrow. i also am going to drive by some rentals. thanks for checking sarah! if you do find out anything let me know by tomorrow. i found a sweet little triplex with nice older style (read unique) and hard wood floors etc RIGHT near the UofA but she said that there is another couple interested and it's the only place that seems like a home to me but also only the 1st place i looked inside. so....i'm waffling.

thursday park is good before 1 as well.
post #6 of 240
9/22/09 at 10:52pm
Thread Starter 
He's liking school, but he's not liking me leaving him. It's pretty awful. He's playing on the playground then it's time to go inside. He's happy then I say, "I'm going home, give me a hug." Then he cries and begs me to either stay with him or take him home. I hand him to the teacher and walk away to him screaming.

This is what the babysitter was like. This is what it has been like with my husband at times. He SO wants to be with me. However, it really makes me question this whole thing. We're giving it until the end of Oct. then reevaluating.

Once I'm gone, they say he quickly gets into a good space. He participates, talks to the other kids, plays with them. When I picked him up today, he wanted to keep playing there.

He's totally hyperactive after we leave. So today we went to the children's museum and he found another kid to be wild with. She told me several of her friends' kids were like that the first couple weeks they were in preschool.

If he hadn't been so rough with the baby we wouldn't be doing this. I just had to keep her safe, but I'm so disliking this. He does speak positively about it, though.
post #7 of 240
9/22/09 at 10:52pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by twogreencars View Post
We would be up for the zoo
We'll plan on the zoo for tomorrow after preschool. How should we try and hook up since I'm not sure who you are?
post #8 of 240
9/23/09 at 12:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mybabysmama View Post
We'll plan on the zoo for tomorrow after preschool. How should we try and hook up since I'm not sure who you are?
pm me
just pm'd you
post #9 of 240
9/23/09 at 10:57am
Hi! Could we maybe join you at the Zoo today? What time are you going?
Ayn & Zoe (we met a couple weeks ago at the park Pam)
post #10 of 240
9/23/09 at 1:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mybabysmama View Post
He's liking school, but he's not liking me leaving him. It's pretty awful. He's playing on the playground then it's time to go inside. He's happy then I say, "I'm going home, give me a hug." Then he cries and begs me to either stay with him or take him home. I hand him to the teacher and walk away to him screaming.

This is what the babysitter was like. This is what it has been like with my husband at times. He SO wants to be with me. However, it really makes me question this whole thing. We're giving it until the end of Oct. then reevaluating.

Once I'm gone, they say he quickly gets into a good space. He participates, talks to the other kids, plays with them. When I picked him up today, he wanted to keep playing there.

He's totally hyperactive after we leave. So today we went to the children's museum and he found another kid to be wild with. She told me several of her friends' kids were like that the first couple weeks they were in preschool.

If he hadn't been so rough with the baby we wouldn't be doing this. I just had to keep her safe, but I'm so disliking this. He does speak positively about it, though.
Pam,

I wonder if you could spend the money you're spending on preschool to hire a mother's helper or someone to come and hold the baby sometimes while you play one on one with A? Or a housekeeper or some other stress relieving thing that would make it easier to have him home? Or maybe sign up for a little soccer team or some other active classes? I'm thinking maybe if he had more time with you, without the baby perhaps the aggression toward her would be less.
Just brainstorming...


We're leaving for a camping trip tomorrow, but I think we're going to move our open-gym day to Mondays so that we can start doing park on Thursdays, so hopefully next week (and lots thereafter) we'll be there!
post #11 of 240
9/23/09 at 1:57pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by MayLibertySprout View Post
Hi! Could we maybe join you at the Zoo today? What time are you going?
Ayn & Zoe (we met a couple weeks ago at the park Pam)
Of course, please do. I'll pm you my cell. I'll probably get there around 12:30.

Okay, here's the truth. I'm terrible with faces. I remember meeting you, but not your face. So if I look at you clueless today, please forgive me.

Speaking of which, we were at musical play yesterday and a woman came up to me and said, "I think I know you." I could not recall ever seeing her before. She said, "I think I bought a play kitchen from you off of craigslist."

OMG, that was over a year and a half ago. She was at my house for 5 minutes. What a memory.
post #12 of 240
9/23/09 at 1:57pm
I think we can escape the store today. We need to celebrate the fact that the next reptile show is a whole year away! What time are people meeting at the zoo?
Danielle, I am so sorry to hear about your situation! Wish there were something we could do to help.
Pam, has his aggression toward his sister changed at all since the start of preschool? Since we have taken Alina off of gluten, her aggression level is WAY down. I am SO relieved! Curious to hear about your experience since our two seem to be so similar in the way they play.
post #13 of 240
9/23/09 at 2:05pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Serendipity View Post
Pam,

I wonder if you could spend the money you're spending on preschool to hire a mother's helper or someone to come and hold the baby sometimes while you play one on one with A? Or a housekeeper or some other stress relieving thing that would make it easier to have him home? Or maybe sign up for a little soccer team or some other active classes? I'm thinking maybe if he had more time with you, without the baby perhaps the aggression toward her would be less.
Just brainstorming..
Really good ideas. I'd thought about a housekeeper, but not a mother's helper. The problem with classes through parks and rec is I can't take the baby and she's too young to stay with anyone but dad. We've always done open gym, story time, plus lots of trips to Children's Museum, TBG, and occasional zoo. What he needs is playmates with open play, not guided activities.

Any suggestions for other weekday morning classes/groups?

Last night in the bath he said, "I'm going to kill the teddy bear and eat it." During the night he woke up crying saying, "I don't want to eat you, Mommy." His teacher said she hasn't seen any play along those lines.

He cried when I left this morning, though he stopped when I was less than 15 feet away from him because the teacher engaged him in conversation. He didn't ask to go home. He does like it there. He asked for me to stay at the school. I could do that, but I have to admit I'm liking having time to clean my house. I don't want to stay there 4 hours. I already stay one hour in the morning.

When I left him this morning, I kept telling myself the only reason I'm doing this is to keep the baby safe. And that is the only reason. If he hadn't been so aggressive to her, I'd still struggle to find more playmates, but he was hitting and poking and pushing her so much. For awhile I thought it was sibling rivalry, but now I don't think so. I think he was just bored.
post #14 of 240
9/23/09 at 2:09pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ligeia View Post
I think we can escape the store today. We need to celebrate the fact that the next reptile show is a whole year away! What time are people meeting at the zoo?
Pam, has his aggression toward his sister changed at all since the start of preschool? Since we have taken Alina off of gluten, her aggression level is WAY down. I am SO relieved! Curious to hear about your experience since our two seem to be so similar in the way they play.
We'll probably arrive at the zoo around 12:45. Call me when you're there.

He hasn't had time to be too aggressive. Monday he was so hyperactive all afternoon, not a whole lot of aggression, just a bit. I guess it's common the first couple weeks of preschool for them to be hyperactive, which is why I'm planning activities every day after school these next couple weeks. Once he calms down (assuming he does) I'll let you know.

I'm glad Alina is less aggressive. It's a really sucky way to live.
post #15 of 240
9/23/09 at 7:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MayLibertySprout View Post
Hi! Could we maybe join you at the Zoo today? What time are you going?
Ayn & Zoe (we met a couple weeks ago at the park Pam)
I was looking for you at the zoo - didn't see you - did you make it?

Zoo was a cool place to spend the pm and with lovely company.
post #16 of 240
9/24/09 at 10:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by twogreencars View Post
I was looking for you at the zoo - didn't see you - did you make it?

Zoo was a cool place to spend the pm and with lovely company.
No, we didn't make it after all
We would have loved to see you too "twogreencars" its been a long time!
Z needed a nap, and I guess I did too, fell asleep right along with her. Hopefully next time!

We will be at the park today though
post #17 of 240
9/24/09 at 10:51am
We'll be at Connor Park this morning... maybe 8:30/9.
post #18 of 240
9/24/09 at 11:22am
how long will you guys be at the park? it takes me half an hour just to get to town let alone wherever conner park is and i have some stuff i need to put together for my day out. but we'd love to see you guys
post #19 of 240
9/25/09 at 1:56am
Thread Starter 
Hi all,

I just wanted to give an update on the preschool adventure...

Today was much better. When it came time to go from leaving the playground and going into the classroom (the time I've been leaving,) he said, "I want you to stay." I said I'd be back after lunch and he went into the class without any tears or fuss. I feel MUCH better. Then after school we went swimming. I don't know if it was the water, the company, or he's gotten used to school, but there was no hyperactivity today.

He did not hurt the baby all day. Not even this evening when we were outside playing. Hopefully this means he's getting enough playtime at school so he doesn't feel the need to try and play rough with his little sister.

There have been other benefits. I stay on the playground with the baby until he goes into class. Then I walk the baby home in the stroller (we live 3.5 blocks away.) She falls asleep and has been staying asleep for 45 to 90 minutes. Before this week her naps were at varying times and only 20 to 30 minutes. She's almost got a routine going here. I now actually get a little time to myself. And my house is slowly getting cleaned. I do not feel as overwhelmed as I have for the past year.

I would still rather have him with me than him be at school. However, if life goes as smoothly as today did, this will be a good option until the baby is older and they can play together by choice rather than hit 'n run.

Of course, tomorrow's no school. We'll see how that goes.
post #20 of 240
9/25/09 at 2:14am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mybabysmama View Post
...

Today was much better. When it came time to go from leaving the playground and going into the classroom (the time I've been leaving,) he said, "I want you to stay." I said I'd be back after lunch and he went into the class without any tears or fuss. I feel MUCH better. Then after school we went swimming. I don't know if it was the water, the company, or he's gotten used to school, but there was no hyperactivity today.

He did not hurt the baby all day. Not even this evening when we were outside playing...
Yippee!