Evening Fun

As we approach fall, evenings are more and more pleasant outside. We spent some time out front- riding scooter, drawing with chalk, looking for bugs, digging the dirt, sweeping the garage, jumping rope... The most simple things in life are better just by enjoying them as a family!



Jacob likes telling us or requesting the specific colors of chalk. Beth's people drawings are getting more fun- lips and eyelashes. This time, she even drew a salad with ranch!



Just after we went inside for bath and bedtime, the skies turned cloudy, the wind blew like, uh, like, a COLD FRONT. Woohoo! Mornings are cooler, reminding me of camping mornings, and daytime temps are only a high of 95*. Not bad considering it was 100* at 5pm just a couple days ago.

School is good!

Beth is absolutely loving kindergarten!

• Her teacher apparently knows everything, and I know nothing. We've had some "discussions" regarding this information. I won.
• When the kids come in each day, there is something on their desk to entertain them until school starts. That is just as exciting as anything else she can imagine. I love the anticipation!
• She's bought lunch in the cafeteria a couple times- nuggets, of course. And, they have ranch, so everything is right in her world.
• Every evening, we pick out the next day's outfit. She's adamant about what she wears. Oh, and she loves her saddle shoes, especially with her knee highs (but her skirts are a bit too long, making the knee highs look like tights.
• Her favorite part of the day is recess. Her favorite learning part is Bible time, though she would rather play all day.
• She's learning lots of cute songs and coming home to share them with us. Even Jacob is picking up "I says i, i, i"

Here are some more pics of her cuteness uniforms

Oh how he shines!

This photo was pre-haircut, but he saw my camera and said "cheese".

How could I not take his picture?

With Beth being at school in the mornings, Jacob has really enjoyed the attention all to himself. Let me tell you, he is really coming into his own! While his language has been improving by leaps and bounds in the last month, this last week has been a blast.

Song #1- "Yes, Jesus...me...The-Bible-tells-me-so"

Song #2- "Twinkle, twinkle...star"

Song #3- "A, B, C, D, now I know my A, B, C, D, double-doo, X, Y, Z"

Song #4- "bull-ee, book...me, 'lone...God, bull-lll-eee, BIBLE!!!!!"

I know, I really need to get this on video. I'll try this week.

He surprised the tar out of me when he counted to 10, without help. Quite enthusiastically, I might add.

He's recalling events- "Joe, silly hat. Joe, ka-boom, pthhht (the zoobert noise)" our friend Joe is quite a character and has made quite an impression on him. Or "Mallory's house, Mallory, cake, chin"- We went to Mallory's first birthday party.

He's telling stories- Kevin played "campout" with the kids and told them a story. Then Jacob took a turn "one time, little boy, little girl, Beth and Jacob".

He built a stack of lego duplo blocks, digging around for the square ones, and built it 22 blocks tall.

Turns out, he's quite bossy (not sure where that came from- hehehe). He'll tell me exactly where and how to play "Mommy, train tracks, 'mon, mountain, now"

I'm really enjoying seeing him come out of his shell even more. He is charming and funny and well-mannered and such a loving boy (when he slows down). Sure, he's still almost-2 and learning his way in the world, but it's such a blessing to enjoy this time with him.

Beth's first day

Boohoohoo! Here it is, the first day of kindergarten. We all did very well, if I do say so myself.

Last night, I got Beth's lunch order, packed what I could. We picked out her clothes, down to the shoes and bow. After all the outfits she'd considered over the last couple weeks, she ended up at the original skirt and polo shirt (with new Keds and her new bow). I took her beginning of the year stats- 44.4 pounds, 45 inches tall. We set her alarm for 6:45am and then read a new book- Twas the Night Before Kindergarten. Beth said she was too excited to sleep but did manage to crash not long after.

Kevin and I got up around 6:30 to start getting things moving for the morning. At 6:45, when Beth's alarm went off, we heard a loud "Woohoo, today is school!". She came down for breakfast, then back up to brush her teeth and get dressed. She was so excited! I finished packing her lunch. She picked out her lunchbox, monogramming and colors too. She's so proud of it! After her hair was fixed, we took pictures, and she even had time to watch some Mickey Mouse Clubhouse before it was time to go.

Finally, time to take her to school! It was fun for all of us to take her in. She already loves her teacher and has been making artwork for her.

She hung her backpack on her hook, put her lunch bag on the shelf, turned in a paper to her teacher and then got to play blocks at her desk while they waited for the other kids to arrive. Of course Jacob had to sit with Beth for a minute. He talked about those blocks all day.

There are 13 kids in her class, and that's a lot for that tiny room.

We left her in good hands, but I still had a few tears. After all, it's a big moment. My baby girl is big now, officially. When we got home, it really hit me that it was just Jacob. A few more tears. Then, I got busy playing with Jacob (who really enjoyed the undivided attention) and doing chores. Jacob and I ran a few errands- it was nice to only have him. When we got home, he looked around and asked for Beth. Poor guy missed his sister. I was getting antsy to pick her up too.

When I picked her up at 12:30 (she's only doing 1/2 day), she was enjoying recess time. On the way home, she told me about lunch time and snack time. As soon as we got home, Jacob ran to her and hugged her. Kevin and I tried to talk to Beth about her day, but Jacob kept pulling her to the living room to play with him. So precious! Then, it was rest time. As we read her story (the same one as last night), she told me she couldn't wait for another day of kindergarten. I guess all the excitement was just too much because she didn't take a nap. Later, while she was playing with Jacob, she'd tell me a bit more about what they learned. I love the excitement she has for learning! Then, she told me she was so glad to be at that school and that she loves her teacher. That makes me feel so good!

For dinner, we went to celebrate, Beth's choice of restaurant. She chose Logan's Roadhouse, for their rolls and butter. Thata girl! Home for bath, then she requested to go to bed- it was only 7. Finally, all the excitement of the day caught up with her. We got her clothes out for tomorrow, and she's excited about what she'll learn tomorrow. Oh shucks, I've got tears again.

Pillows!

Who knew pillows could provide so much fun?! When I make the bed, I throw all the pillows into one big pile on the floor. Jacob and Beth stand at the wall outside my room (excuse the diaper boy). Then they take turns saying "cannonball" and dive into the pillows.

When I get to the point of being ready to put the pillows back on the bed, they're sad but usually help me. After all, they'll get to play again tomorrow.

One last hoorah!

We took a family trip to the zoo, one last long day before Beth starts school. While the sun wasn't too bad, there was some humidity (ugh!). Hooray for the misting fans by the elephants!

We saw lots of animals! Jacob gets so quiet. I can only wonder what goes through his mind. Is he thinking about the toy animals at home that look just like the big ones? Beth talks and talks and talks, though, totally making up for Jacob's quiet.

We had lunch at the zoo's Burger King. Did you know that small onion rings are only 140 calories!? Ok, total side note, but very interesting. More animals. Beth's favorite place is the herpetarium (the reptile house). She likes to know if they're poisonous or not. I've taught her how to read the animal's info to find out- green for non-venomous, red if they are and red poison skull with cross bones for the really poison ones. By this point, we've got two hot, tired kiddos, so we got in line for the train that would take us back to the entrance.

Jacob loved hearing the train whistle. Beth loved going through the tunnel. All in all, it was a great day.

The countdown

The supplies are all bought. We'll take them to orientation on Friday.
The uniforms are bought. I'll get them ironed this week. I need to make a couple bows.
New undies. Check. New shoes. Check. Backpack and lunch kit. Check.

Today, we started preparing by having Beth's alarm set. She got up, turned it off and jumped to check her calendar. 7 days until kindergarten.

She's super excited. She already has her first day outfit picked out. I'm a mix of emotions- excited, nervous, sad. Beth has been with me, except for the one school year I taught when she was little. She didn't go to mother's day out or preschool. Our days are going to be so different. At least we get her back after lunch. :) We're going to spend this week soaking up lots of fun.

New look

What do you think of my new look? Thanks Casey!

I found a great digital scrapbook kit I like from Funky Playground Designs , sent the file to Casey from Blue Star Blogs, and she worked her magic. We chatted about what I liked and didn't like, what I wanted to see more of, and she patiently (ok, maybe not- she is my sister, so I can say that) kept working until I loved it. If you want a fancy or cute blog design of your own, head over to her website. As a matter of fact, she's running a sale on pre-made blog headers ($15 instead of the usual $25).

Thanks again Sis!

Edited to add that my sister is now being taken off admin for my blog so she can't change anymore of my posts. She probably thought I wouldn't notice. :)

Cousins

I have a cousin who lives at most an hour from here. Yet, I've only seen her once a year since we moved up here. This isn't some cousin I never liked, this is the cousin I invited on family trips so I'd have somebody my age to hang out with. It's a shame life gets so busy that neither of us has made the effort to get together. It took her brother, sister-in-law and their kids coming up for a visit and suggesting we all get together. I'm so glad we did! We met at a McD with an indoor playplace (the weather was very stormy that day) so the kids could play, and we adults could all visit. The kids did great together. Only once did Jacob get too high in the playland and have to be rescued by my cousin (since I'd worn a skirt). We promised to make more effort to get together more often.

Ayden (5), Jade (3), Devon (8), Beth (5) and Jacob (almost 2)

Train up a child

Proverbs 22:6- "Train up a child in the way he should go, so when he is old he will not depart from it."

A couple Sundays ago was Baby/Child dedication at our church. Since this is our first church home since Jacob was born, we knew we wanted to participate. What is a baby dedication, really? A confirmation of our love for God, clarification that our child already belongs to God, commitment to raise our child under the leadership of Jesus Christ and claiming God's best plan and promises for our child. It is agreeing to "bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4). It is not just a simple ceremony but a life long commitment to raise our child God's way.

We are so thankful to God for our children and want to raise them in a way that is honoring to Him. We're not perfect, by any means, but we want to give our kids the best. The best doesn't mean more stuff, it means teaching them God's plan. It means being the best parents we can be to be an example of God's love and teaching. We're learning so much on this journey!

In the bulletin on that Sunday was something funny, and yet so accurate, that I want to share. Apparently many years ago, the Houston Police Department ran an ad campaign in attempt to reduce juvenile crime. Here's what they came up with:

Twelve Rules for Raising Juvenile Delinquent Children

1. Begin with infancy to give the child everything he wants. In this way, he will grow up to believe the world owes him a living.

2. When he picks up bad words, laugh at him. This will make him think that it's cute.

3. Never give him any spiritual training. Wait until he's 21 and let him "decide for himself."

4. Avoid the use of the word "wrong." It may develop a guilt complex. This will condition him to believe later, when he is arrested for stealing a car, that society is against him, and that he's being persecuted.

5. Pick up everything he leaves lying around. Do everything for him so that he will be experienced in throwing all responsibility on others.

6. Let him read any printed matter he can get his hands on. Be careful that the silverware and dishes are sterilized, but let his mind feast on garbage.

7. Quarrel frequently in the presence of your children. This way they won't be shocked when the home is broken up later.

8. Give a child all the spending money he wants. Never let him earn his own.

9. Satisfy every craving for food, drink and comfort. See that every sensual desire is gratified.

10. Take his part against the neighbors, teachers and policemen. They are all prejudiced against your child.

11. When he gets into real trouble, apologize for yourself by saying "I never coud do anything with him."

12. Prepare for a life of grief. You will likely have it.

An only child (for a week)

Beth went to visit Grandma and Grandpa for a whole week! It was good to have time to focus on Jacob. Even a trip to Target was fun since we just got to talk together. I've ignored most of my chores this week (gasp!) in favor of playing. He's missed Beth, but it's good to know that when she goes to school, he'll do just fine.

Riding his new stick horse. He jumps with it more than anything, but it's cute!

We played outside, giving the roly poly bugs some water. We bounced on the trampoline too.

Kevin has had some fun play time with Jacob too. They played "animal bowling"- they stand up all the animals then roll the Mickey ball (and it has to be that one only) to knock over all the animals, then "setemup" and do it again.

We watched ants marching across the back porch from a safe place inside. That is one big after-dinner belly, and he's quite proud of it!

We had a playdate with Jackson, who had a hard time understanding Beth wasn't there too.

We ate dinner on the patio, then Jacob played (and played and played) with a bucket of water. He sat in it, stood in it, splashed in it, tried to pour it out, tried to put more water in it. He had a blast!

We went to Ihop for breakfast, just the 3 of us. That's so weird to only have 1 kid to take care of at a restaurant, but it was fun too.

We had fun together, with just Jacob, but we sure were happy to see Beth again! He kept wanting to give her hugs. They ran around the living room, giggling away and played together very nicely.