Another School Update

Geometry Jules.

On Friday, the boys completed their first full week of preschool. Sadly, the morning started off much like it had the previous days: the boys cried at drop-off. I don't know how Doug does it. I would be a heart-broken mess.

But, at least they cheer up pretty quickly.

A note from Julian's teacher:

We wanted to share what a great day Julian had. While he was upset getting out of the car, he stopped shortly after entering the classroom. Julian participated in more lessons today and is beginning to learn how to choose his own work independently. He showed off his geometry skills this morning telling us all about triangles, squares and circles :)

And one from Jonas's teacher:

It looks like these are the same pictures but, they are not.  This is just a work Jonas enjoys daily.  Look at his concentration when squeezing the sponge. Also he is learning the sequence of the activity.  He cleaned the table without any direction.

He may cry some when he comes to school but settles in shortly after school starts.

Very focused.

It's been a treat talking to them all week about their days at school. Friday, though, was the best. I asked Julian what he did, and he said, "I made new friends." So sweet. And when I looked in their backpacks, Jonas had a picture in his that he drew with a friend. Whoever his friend was, he/she drew AT-ATs for him; that's a good buddy.


While the boys were hard at work at school, Kate was playing King of the Castle on her puppy dog throne.

She went along with Rachel to pick up the boys and scored a free donut hole at Dunkin Donuts. Working that charm!

Next week, Doug gets to go to an event at school with the boys, "Donuts with Dad." I can't express enough how jealous I am.

Boggle

When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to do was play Boggle with my Mommaw and cousins. In case you don't know, Boggle is a word game. There's a plastic grid and a bunch of blocks with letters, and you try to make words by stringing together adjacent letters. Got it? It's also timed, and you get double points for words greater than 5 letters.

Anyway, we used to play it all the time. I remember that we always had to be really quiet when shaking up the letters so we didn't wake up Papaw. Truth be told, I bet we could've shook that thing till the cows came home, and he wouldn't have heard it. Still, we were always very quiet. Except for the laughing. 

Fast forward to now. It's been years since I've played a good round of Boggle. I actually had forgotten it existed, until my buddy brought it over to play a couple of weeks ago.  I was so delighted to see it as it brought back so many fond memories.

That night, we discovered that someone else liked Boggle--the dudes. They liked it so much, that my friend bought them their very own game. Now, obviously, they can't play for real, but they do like to take the blocks and build words. I was playing with Jonas, when he started making words.  "C-A-T. Cat! C-A-R. Car!" He yelled excitedly. "A-S. Ass!"

What a funny guy! I only wish my Mommaw could've been there to hear it.

At the Dentist

The dudes had a successful trip to the dentist last week where they charmed the socks off of every person in the office. Who would've thought they could be so cooperative? What, with the way they carry on when I try to assist them in teeth brushing activities.

Jonas waltzed in there like he owned the place. Got his teeth all cleaned and was ready to roll within 15 minutes. Jules, on the other hand, was a little more cautious, but after watching his brother, he climbed up in the chair without a problem.

They made sure to schmooze the dentist. Complimenting everything she did. "Oh, wow! So cool." "Yes, that's awesome."

Except the fluoride. To that, Julian said, "Disgusting!"

School Day 3

The studs getting ready for school. Look at those muscles!

Remember yesterday when I proudly posted that Julian, although not super thrilled about school, had yet refused to go? Well, scratch that.

This morning, the poor little feller wanted Doug to take him anywhere but school. He wanted to stay home. When that didn't work, he asked to go to Target. The dude was so desperate, he even asked to go to the hospital. To make matters worse, when he arrived at school and got out of the van, he tried to take his Possum with him, only to be denied.

Luckily, according to his teacher, he did eventually perk up.

"Although he did cry initially getting out of the car, Julian settled down quickly and had a nice work morning.  He participated in more lessons and is beginning to learn the classroom procedures and routines.

We will update you on Friday with how the next few days go.

Thank you for sharing Julian with us!"

Jonas working with sand scooping
at school.

I also received an update on the Bear named Joe.

"Jonas has transitioned well, with only a few tears at the start of his day. He will ask for Julian but once we explain that Julian is next door working he seems to calm and begin engaging in activities. His peers are excited to have him as part of our classroom community and eagerly ask to give him lessons. We will update you again on Friday as to how he is progressing."

I still can't believe my baby boys go to school.

In Case You Were Wondering: School Day 2

Day 2 of school is in the books.

Doug said Julian had another tough morning; he cried when he was dropped off, wanting Doug to carry him and not leave. I'm glad he did not do that yesterday. I'm not sure I would have survived that. The teacher sent an email later in the afternoon that cheered me up a little: 

Julian ended up having a better morning than yesterday. He chose some independent work, worked with a friend, and he seemed to enjoy going to music class.

Julian working on a frog puzzle at school.

At least he doesn't hate it, and he has yet refused to go. Quite the opposite really. He's very positive when he comes home.

According to the boys, they really love school and had a good time today. What did they do today? "Went to the playground. Ate crackers. Washed hands. Went to the playground. Did a frog puzzle. Went to the playground. Read books. Played with friends. Went to the playground." Thus far, I gather their favorite subject is recess!

Since she arrived a few minutes early, Rachel had the opportunity to spy on our boys while they were playing outside. She observed that Julian had a new friend. She also saw how happy the boys were to be reunited, as they repeatedly hugged one another, and waited for each other at the bottom of the slide.

I love those guys.

October 2015

October is one of our favorite months! Fall is here. Cooler weather and warm hoodies. Caramel apples from Sweet Tooth candy shop. Kentucky basketball kicks off. HALLOWEEN. Kate's birthday. Lots of fun to be had.

My Baby Kate turned 1!

Two of the coolest gals to ever live.

Jules and Joe Bear painted pumpkins.

I made Kate's birthday cake.

Jonas in timeout. Life is so unfair. He just
wanted 1 more balloon!

The birthday girl.

Party time. Excellent!

Mac and cheese Yoda loves.

Star Wars Halloween.

Carving pumpkins.

Jonas proudly showing off his pumpkin.

So cool, Dad!

Watching Darth Vader conduct the symphony with his light saber.

October rules!

September 2015

Rewinding to fall 2015 with a few pictures lest we forget all of the fun things that happened at the close of last year.

In September, we went on what has become our annual trip to Charleston, SC. We love it there; especially at this time of the year. Not crowded. Perfect weather. Cheaper rentals. The best.

The drive down was a little painful. It's a 8-9 hour haul, but on this particular Saturday morning, a side of the mountain in nowheresville Tennessee decided to slip, causing a detour that led up the most terrifying holler (non-hill person read: hollow) in existence, and I know a thing or 2 about terrifying hollers. Anyway, everyone was irritated and aggravated and madder than hell. Me being in the worst condition. But we finally made it, and once we were on that balcony overlooking the sea, it was all worth it.

Enter beach photos.

We played cars a lot out on that balcony. That ocean breeze sure felt nice.
I was given a go-cart for the week. Jules and Jonas got all kinds of rides, but I
was always the go-cart.

Like her brothers before her, we were sweating
bullets wondering if Miss Kate would be walking come beach
time. She was of course, because she is perfect. And that strawberry
bathing suit was beyond adorable.

My favorite thing to come of this trip was that these handsome dudes
began telling bedtime stories. "Once upon a time, there were 2 little boys. One
named Julian, one name Jonas, and one named Mom."

  

These 2 had the most fun of all. Grammy and her girl.

Me and my boys on USS Yorktown. A little history while on vacay.

The trio getting ready to destroy the castle Carol and I built.

I think they had a pretty good time. Even if Jonas asked everyday,
"Time to go home?"

We started telling bedtime stories on this vacation, and it is something we still do currently. Sometimes, I have a request for "story about vacation" and it goes something like this:

Once upon a time, there were 2 little boys. One named Julian and one named Jonas, and they had a little sister named Kate. One day, Jonas said, "Hey, Mom, can we go on vacation!" and Mom said, "Sure, go pack your bags and we'll go." So they packed their bags and loaded up the van. Mommy, Daddy, Julian, Jonas, Kate, Grammy, and Rachel drove and drove and drove. They drove through Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, and finally South Carolina. When they got to Charleston, they went to their hotel, which had a balcony overlooking the sea. Julian said, "Mom, let's play cars." So, Mom, Julian, and Jonas played cars. Mom was a go-cart. Jonas was a dump truck. Julian was a police car. Then Jonas said, "I've got an idea! Let's go to the beach." So they went. Mommy and Grammy built a big sandcastle. Then, Kate, Julian, and Jonas knocked it down. Soon, Jonas said, "I'm hungry! Let's go eat pizza!" So they did. After pizza, the boys took a bubble bath; then they went to sleep. The next morning, they all drove home! What a wonderful vacation! The end."

The Dudes Go to School

My little dudes started school today. This is very hard for me to comprehend. They are so tiny! But it's happening. They're growing up.

How I'll always see them.

Hanging out with Poss before school.

The scene that almost killed my heart.

Enjoying her time as an only child.

 Jonas at school messing with shaving cream.

Enjoying "breakstaff" for lunch at Frisch's. Jonas had pancakes
and sausage, and Julian had fries and goetta.

After school, we went to the aquarium. Here's Jonas
and Rachel petting a starfish.

Here's Julian guffawing at a shark.

Rounding out the afternoon with some ice cream topped
with strawberries and sprinkles!

I just received an update from the boys' teachers. It seems that Jonas had a pretty great morning and separated easily from his brother. His teacher said he asked to go home toward the end of the morning, but got over it once he heard he was going to play on the playground outside. Julian had a tougher morning and missed his brother. However, at recess, he was reunited with his bro at the playground and that cheered him up. Hopefully, tomorrow will be easier for my little love bugs and they'll become more independent each day.

It was so awesome to hear them talk to each other after I picked them up from school. I think I've heard, "Did you love school, Julian/Jonas? I loved school, too." at least a hundred times.

Off to play outside.

How to Eat a Cinnamon Roll -- Part Deux

My little girl is growing up. She will be 16 months old tomorrow. She has a mouth full of teeth and a killer mullet. To say she has a lot of personality is an understatement. She is something else, my little Monster. And today she had herself a cinnamon roll. 

If you recall, there's another wild one in our household who loves cinnamon rolls. The Bear can put a hurting on a cinnamon roll real quick. Click here for a quick stroll down memory lane.

And now I bring you, How to Eat a Cinnamon Roll Part Deux, featuring Kate Monster

Take a teeny, tiny bite to make sure
Mom isn't playing jokes. Remember that
incident with the green beans?

Ah yeah, this is some good stuff! Smile
so Mom knows you know it's good.

Time to take things seriously.

Bask in the cinnamon roll bliss.

Give Mom the look so she knows you
ain't gonna ask twice. More cinnamon
roll NOW!

Why Moms Rule

Jules on the slide.

Everyone knows that Moms are awesome. Dads are okay, but Moms are really the best. You might say I am biased because I am a Mom. Even so, Moms do rule, and here are 10 reasons why.

10. She's got that magical bag. Moms' purse is a treasure trove of delights. Oh no, you got a boo-boo? Never fear! Mom has a band-aid in her purse. Hungry? Just a sec, there are some goldfish crackers in here somewhere. Bored? Take these hot wheels, oh, and here's a book. Tantrum time? All is calm once Mom whips out the emergency fruit snacks.

9. Pancakes. Mom makes the best pancakes, and even better, she'll make them for you at the drop of a dime. Just ask.

8. Moms are great storytellers; they even use different voices for each character. And, here's a good trick to remember: If your Mom says, "Okay, guys, only 1 more story, then it's time to go to sleep." Alls you gotta do is say, "I love you, Mom. How about 1 more story? Let's snuggle." And she'll stay until you fall asleep. Works. Every. Time.

7. Her kisses cure the most severe knee scrapes and head bumps.

Kate the Great.

6. She's strong.  

5. Moms are quick to forgive. You can speed up the process with a bear hug. 

4. She's selfless. Mom will give you anything and everything she can. We're talking mega sacrifices here, people (not excluding the biggest sacrifice of hauling you around in utero). Starving Mom's have even been known to give up the last piece of goetta for her little piglets. If that's not love, I don't know what is.

3. That woman is amazingly patient. Of course, it is likely to overhear her muttering her mantra, "I love being a Mom. I love being a Mom." more than a few times a day when things get really hairy. 

2. Moms are great listeners. No matter what you have to say, when you call for your Mother, she is all ears. (She also gives advice...wanted or not.)

1. She gives nothing but unconditional love, and she loves you for you. She will be the only person (or one of a few) who no matter what you do or say will always, always love you. There's nothing too embarrassing or gross you could ever tell her--you've barfed on her, she's cleaned your butt, she knows that you cannot live life without your stuffed possum. You could set a kitty orphanage ablaze and she'd still love you (though she would seek out professional help most immediately; Mom has watched enough Criminal Minds to know that). It's just what Moms do. She is your #1 fan. She even loves you more than Kentucky basketball. She will live her life to make yours

The Bear lining up his cars.

the best it can be and she will love every minute of it.

Go give your Mom a kiss.