Decorating the Christmas Tree

It's my favorite time of the year. I can't believe it's here already, but I won't complain. I love Christmas, everything about it. I love big, beautiful, bursting with the fresh scent of evergreen, Christmas trees, but our rental agreement for this house says no live Christmas trees. So we have to do the artificial thing, but we make the most of it. My very dear friend purchased an adorable little tree for us during the first Christmas season we lived here. That was several years ago and the tree has had a bit of a beating since then with lots of little helping hands placing ornaments on it. We have so many ornaments that I'm not sure we will fit them all on this year. We will probably spend several days getting the finishing touches on the tree because the kids love moving the ornaments around. The last ornaments to go on will be on December 6th after St Nicholas delivers their new ornaments for this year in their shoe. Then we will string the garland and tie on the bows and it will be hands off the tree.

I actually got the kids to all stand still for half a second so I could get them all in one picture. Of course we had only just started decorating, but you can already see that majority of the ornaments will end up on the bottom third of the tree. In years past I would have moved them all around, but this year I'm enjoying seeing things from the kids point of view.

Fabulous Fall

Getting my kids into a picture together is not easy, at least not with everyone smiling and loooking at the camera. But maybe I could photoshop them into a semi smiley group?!? Looks like I won't be sending out any happy thanksgiving cards this year. Oh well, I'll remember what these days were really like. Fretting Philip, Addie-tuding, Clowning Carter, and Sensitive Sadie, my sweet and loving wouldn't change them for the world, kids enjoying a crisp cool autumn morning.

The Singing School Bus.

No I'm not talking about the doodlebops, but if they ever need a new member I am quite sure Philip could fill in.
When he came home from school on the bus he exclaimed "Mom, I made a new friend"
"Wow that's cool Philip, what's their name?"
"Umm, I don't know"
"Is it a boy or a girl"
"A girl, we have lots in common"
"Cool, what do you have in common?"
"She became my friend on the bus we always sit next to each other on the way home. She is a really good singer like me. We both like to, umm you know, like make up songs and stuff."
"So cool, you'll have to sing them for me."
"Yeah we are really cool, but I'm not going to do that. We just have to practice and stuff first"

So apparently when they have gotten enough practice sessions in I'll be invited to their first gig.
Until then I'll have to be satisfied with his backseat serenades in the van.

Second Week Smooth Sailing

At least thats what I am hoping for. It will be the the second full week of school for the kids, and last week it finally felt like we were getting into the swing of things. Good thing because it looks like I might be starting a new job this week if all goes well.

Philip has settled into school and now runs to the door each time I drop him off instead of clinging to my shirt. It didn't go so smoothly for him at our first Awana club of the year, but that he can take his time settling into. I won't push it too hard. I am glad to see that his confidence is growing and he is finding his way around in the big school. He goes through the lunch line on his own now, it may sound like a little thing, but believe me it's a big milestone. He rides the big, very full, bus home with Sadie, and doesn't even insist on sitting next to her. He has made some friends and seems very happy to be a big kindergarten boy.

Addie and Carter started their very busy schedule of all day school. They attend CTS in the morning with Teacher Kathy who they just love. In the afternoon they catch the bus and head to Sunnyland for the special needs preschool with Teacher Su who is amazing. There are 12 other kids in their morning class and 9 others in their afternoon class. That is 21 new kids for them to get know, and considering how long it takes both of them to warm up to other kids, I think they are doing great. However, it has become more apparent to me and the teachers as to why they are still enrolled in the special needs preschool. Sometimes it feels like they have caught up with other kids and outgrown all their quirks, symptoms and sensory issues, and other times they are so very visable. The past week would be the later. Addie has had no impulse control whatsoever. There have been messes, tantrums and dangerous decisions galore. Carter has been much more timid and fearful, as well as a little obsessive, compulsive and anxious.

Sadie is harder to read. I think she likes her teacher, I know she is glad to be back in class with her friends, but beyond that it's a toss up. She had an embarassing situation happen and that put her in a bit of a slump. Then she had somehow missed the homework papers for the week that the teacher handed out, so this weekend she got to pull a catch up session before going to play. She had a good attitude about it, but she seems a little down and I don't know if itis just start of school stress or something more serious. The teacher told me she has a focusing problem, that she frequently misses the directions and instructions and often looks like she is daydreaming. Nothing I didn't already know, but just confirms that it's time to talk to the doctors about it again.

Anyway all in all it is a great start to the year, but a little tiring adjusting to the new schedule. Transitions are not an easy process for any of my kids, but then again are they for anyone?

Ready or Not... Kindergarten Here We Come

Yup... this was the last time I saw him smile before entering kindergarten. There is no other way of putting it, Philip had a hard time saying goodbye today. Ok, Mommy did too. He was so excited, and I thought he had gotten over all his nerves, but at the last second as the teacher was begining to lead the class into the room, he had a break down. As I said "have fun" he began to cry uncontrollably. He grasped the bottom of my shirt so tightly I had to pry his little fingers loose. He covered my shirt in big snot covered tears and clung to me like a baby koala. After he cried on the assesment day, the teacher had warned me that I would need to just say goodbye and go without lingering to see if he was ok. It was much easier said than done. I had no idea how awful it felt to leave your crying child in the hands of a teacher carrying them away. The teacher did have to actually carry him to class. I wondered as they walked away what he thought as he saw all the other parents follow along behind the teacher. Did he know I was not there because I knew he could be braver if I left? Did he know that my heart was breaking as I stepped away and that all I wanted to do was scoop him up in my arms and run back home. We had prepared for this day for so long because I knew he was nervous about kindergarten. We'd read tons of books about kidergarten, we'd drawn pictures and talked about what it would be like, we'd toured the class and met the teacher. but nothing had prepared him for the big day and saying goodbye to mom. He had no problem with me leaving last year, and I know soon he will be fine. The teacher reported to me after class that he had stopped crying before they even got to the room. We did sneak past the class several times and saw that he was doing great. But still, I never wanted to leave him in tears. I hope I never have to again.

Preschool Prepared

Addie and Carter started one of their schools today. This year they will go to Catch the Son, a private school in the morning, and to the public special needs preschool in the afternoon. They attended the public school last year, but this is their first time at Catch the Son in a year and a half. They had attended at age 2 1/2 for playgroup, but just weren't quite ready for a typical school. They have progressed so nicely, that I am hoping it will be a good fit for them this year, but I know it will hold it's challenges. For one there are 14 kids in the class, 1 teacher and one parent helper each day. Quite a different ratio then they are used to. There will be less teacher input and ques to keep them on task and cooperating well with other children. I hope they will gain some good strategies in dealing with other children and solving problems on their own. Although it will be a lot of school in each day for them, I am hoping it will help prepare them for kindergarten next year.

Their first day was only a third of the class. I could see right off the bat that they would have to work a little harder at focusing and following instructions. At free choice time I wasn't a bit surprised to see Addie head straight for babies and the rocking chair. A little bit of self soothing to get herself through the morning, disguised perfectly as pretend playing house.

Carter was a little mischievous at the start of the day. He didn't really want to follow his teacher and tried his clowing around act. He played on his own at free choice, but I'm sure he will make friends when there are more kids in the class.

Back to So Cool

Today my little baby girl entered the third grade. This year is sure to leave it's mark on her life. She will be in school only one extra hour, but the expectations increase far more than that. She loves school and I know she will do great, but part of the mom in me doesn't want to see my little Sadie-bug pass these milestones. She enters a new phase in school of tests and more homework, the pressure from teachers and peers increases and the responsibilities grow. It is an exciting time too... as she blossoms into a young lady, grows in spiritual depth and gains understanding. Still, I can't help but want to protect her even more so now. Maybe it is because she thinks she knows it all, and I know just how much she doesn't. Maybe it's because I still remember the 'tween years... caught right between childhood and the teen years. Maybe it's just because I feel like time has flown by so quickly. Whatever the reason, I want to hold her precious face in my hands and pause right here for just a moment. I want to surround her with all the people who love and adore her and want only the best for her, and I want to push the rest of the world away, if only for a day.

As for Sadie's first day of school, she did great. She was a little timid walking into school. She actually wanted to hold my hand the entire morning. I thought she might not want me to leave. But when she saw her best friend they ran to each other and embraced in a full body hug. Thankfully they are in the same class. Sadie felt much more at ease with her friends by her side. Her friends are such nice girls and the parents are great too. I can't wait to see what the year holds.

Good Clean Fun

Who knew you could have so much fun with some shaving cream a tarp and a sprinkler. I'm just so thankful Susan let us make this mess during therapy instead of in our own yard! The kids were in a white fluffy cloud from heaven. It was like full body fingerpainting. Then as soon as they would get all slimy and slicked up they'd race through the sprinkler and clean off so they could do it all over again. Now thats some serious sensory input!

Even Cleaner Fun

After getting as much of the shaving cream off as we could the kids went in the pool. They practiced kicking, swimming and doing some other excersizes. It was a great way for the kids to cool off since it was hot and muggy and it wasn't even noon yet!

They were awfully sad when it was time to get out of the pool, but not for long because we were headed to Grandmas house to swim in he lake with our friends,

The Fair

It's fair week again. For most of my kids the fair is like Disneyland. They love the rides, the music, the activities, the people, the food. My little Carter is another story. When I told him we were going to the Fair he said, "I'm not going- that place is scary." When I asked him what he didn't like about the fair he said, "there are too many people there, and animals. It smells bad, and it's loud and the rides are scary". So I let him stay with Grandma. One persons fun is another's torture.

In year's past my sister has spent the entire week at the fair with her kids doing 4H and we would normally join her a few times a during the week. This year my sister is in Africa so I drove the kids out to the fair on my own for an all-in-one day packed full of fun.

As soon as we arrived the kids started begging to go on rides, so I told them we would save the best for last and I made them look through the 4h building and the rabbit/ poultry barns. Philip loved the Lego trains and I wouldn't be surprised if soon he had a new obsession. The girls ran around checking out all the toy colletions comparing what they owned. It was funny I had to force them to go into the building and then force them to leave, doesn't it always seem to be that way with kids. In the Poultry barn Addie just loved all the chickens. She cracked up at their cock-a-doodle-doo's. I think she would have brought home a silly looking chicken with curly feathers if she could have hid it in her shirt. Actually I think if I was a chicken that's what I would look like with crazy curly out of control feathers flying around me. Sadie was not impressed by the birds at all. In fact she kept saying let's get out of here I can't breathe in this place. She is so 8 years old right now.

Next we checked out some vendor booths, and then into the barn to look at the cows. Later I found out we had just missed a baby calf being born. If only we had gone down the middle row in the cow barn instead of walking past- I could have let my kids be horrified by the miraculous sight of birth. Oh well maybe next year! We did go back into the barn later in the day and got to see the cute baby calf all cleaned up, and the proud mama still licking her baby. It was adorable.

We headed to the shade to relax and eat our lunch from home. We may have missed out on some tasty fair food, but we saved a good $50 on food for 5 people. After eating their bagels and fruit the kids checked out the farm friends exhibit where they got to milk a pretend cow, dig for potatoes and get a free coloring book. The kids found all this quite entertaining perhaps they are country kids at heart.

I finally decided two hours of the kids begging was enough torture for us all and we finally went to get the kids ride bracelets. The kids went on tons and tons of rides. Addie's favorite was the Carousel Horses, Philip liked the big slide and Tori and Sadie really like the Dragon Wagon roller coaster. It was quite a disappointment for Sadie to find out she was still too short for the Sizzler. She was sure she had grown enough in a year to be able to ride it but when she backed against the sign and saw she was still 2 inches two short tears began to well up in her eyes. I felt bad for her but was also a little relieved... I didn't want to have a dizzy daughter puking so early in the fair day.

When I saw the kids eyes spinning in circles I knew it was time for a break from the rides. The smell of all the fair food had the kiddos hungry again. Luckily I had plenty of snacks packed to keep them satisfied. Our next stop was even a productive one. The masons and state patrol had teamed up to put on a free "chip program" for kids. They took the kids finger prints, dna swab and teeth imprints to identify them incase the unthinkable ever happened and the kids went missing. They even do a little video interview with the kids and give you a dvd. And as a bonus we were given coupons for free ice cream from the dairy women.

As the kids ate their ice cream we wandered through the pony and draft horse barns. The girls were full of joyful giggles as they read off the names of each pony. We stopped outside the barn to pet what Addie referred to as the "giant horse". The horse to a liking to Sadie and when she turned her back to him he leaned over and took a big sniff of her hair. She must smell good because he kept coming back to her.

On our way back towards the rides we stopped and played some sfree little kid games at the north county CTK kids carnival. It was a pirate theme this year and Addie was quite excited about all the little prizes she won. The girls all got their faces painted and Philip had a cross tattoo put on his face. The games were kind of cute they got to dig for treasure and hit a ship with a cannon. Addie loved the fishing game as always. The big girls thought it was a bit babyish, but they were more than happy to search for candy and prizes in the haystacks.

It was time to head back to the rides and get our money's worth out of the bracelets. We met up with our friends again and it was back to spinning, whirling, speeding, soaring, sliding and zooming. Soon our friends had to leave but the kids were good for a few more ride. When at last they had had enough of the rides we decided to go catch a show before calling it a day.

We headed over to the small stage and watched the cute 16 year old magician who mesmerized Philip. He was quite the talented showman. Philip got a couple playing cards from him and spent the rest of the night doing "magic tricks" turning 1 card into two. It was begining to get dark and time to head home. But there is just one stop that you have to make when you go to the fair... the famous poffertjes pasteries. Our last treat of the fair. We then wandered through the last animal barns to see the sheep and the pigs. We were surprised to see some pigs that had gotten in a fight and were covered in scratches and cuts. Who knew pigs could be so violent. My kids had been so great all day long, but I could tell they were begining to get a bit fiesty too, so it was time to head home. It was a wonderful day. I was very proud and impressed at how great all the kids behaved today!

Philips First Tooth Fell Out!

He has been a wiggling it for weeks now and finally it came out when I gave it a big old yank. his Big Boy tooth is already peeking up in the hole. We like to put our teeth in a little glass for the toothfairy to find so she can see how beautiful and shiny it is magnified by the water. Since it was his first tooth and it was so hard to get out the toothfairy gave him $3.00. Maybe he won't be so scared when I want to pull out his next loose tooth. The other bottom tooth is already got the wiggles.

Happy Birthday to Me

Came home from the Gorge on my Birthday to a wonderful surprise. My Sweet and Amazing Man had not only cleaned the entire house including doing all the laundry, but he had also gotten me a birthday cake... acually two birthday cakes because Philip was with him and he can talk Jose into just about anything. The kids really wanted me to blow out candles but 31 candles wasn't going to happen so they settled for three. What a perfect birthday present. Thanks fam!

We just got back from Creation Fest at the Gorge. It was 4 days of great music, from artists like the Newsboys, Jeremy Camp, Switchfoot, David Crowder Band, Skillet, Barlow Girls, Superchick, and many More. Sadie's highlight was meeting Pure NRG and getting her new shirt signed. She also loved the fact that we did lots of swimming because we opted to stay at a hotel rather than camp. I loved the beautiful scenes of the gorge and listening to the great speakers and talented musicians. Oh and the very cool candle lighting ceremony. The place was packed with thousands of people and to see the hillside glowing by candlight was awesome and inspiring. Last time I was here it was 10 years ago at a No Doubt concert. So much better to be listening to music that is glorifying and entertaining. God Rocks!

My Little Mermaid

This summer Addie has become quite the little mermaid. She loves to play in the water. She could stay in there for hours on end. She has been determined to learns all kinds of new water tricks like blowing bubbles, dunking with and then without plugging her nose, going under water and kicking to the top and more. She gets an idea in her head and then even if she is a little afraid at first she just keeps trying until she has conquered it. That's the upside of determination. My cute little mermaid girl even fell in love with her friends little mermaid baby and spent all afternoon teaching her tricks in the little plastic pool and taking her down the slip-n-slide. So Cute!