I've been wondering how in the world I could ever get caught up on blogging after basically taking the WHOLE summer off. I've started many a time and then get overwhelmed and quit. I figure the best approach from this point is not to dwell on the past but make an effort starting with the recent, which is the FIRST day of school.
Yep, the kids went back to school on Wed the 18th. Prior to this we got to find there classrooms and meet their teachers at open house. Mack has a teacher that is new to the school. I had fears as I saw that the name began with Miss and instantly started thinking she must be young, does she have any experience, etc... That was when my better half calmly reminds me that LPS is extremely competitive and they actually have to turn good teachers away. And, we are fortunate to be in a good school district. We ran into Schuyler's old teacher at the store and he said all the teachers were raving about her. I was pleased when she called us on the 2nd day of school to assure us (or more me) that Mack was adjusting fine socially and academically to public school. The fact that she was proactive says a lot. If you ask Mack her opinion of her teacher she will say "I have the most beautiful teacher of all the 1st grade teachers. She doesn't make us read, write or do math". Well, that was the after the first few days and I'm happy to say they do actually do work = )
Schuyler also has a fantastic teacher. She brought home spelling words already on the 1st week and I was astonished at how hard some of them were. For example, her list had some of the following words: discrepancy, dramatization, rafters, scrutinize, plankton, etc... Holy smokes!!
Eli is happy to be back at the Montessori and even more excited to see his friend Dalton. I thought without his older sister he might be lost. Not so. Daddy gets a few extra hugs and kisses in the morning but that's the only real change.
Besides school, soccer season has kicked off. I continue to assistant coach both of the girls' teams. Schuyler's team has already had several practices and games and Mack's season will officially start Monday.
I'm hoping that this post will get me back in the practice of blogging but I also know that as the kids continue to get older, I continue to get even busier. So, I'm not going to beat myself up if I don't post every week and will do the best I can = )
Oh my, where does the time go? It seems much has happened in the last 2 weeks. Bare with me and my long windedness!
Mack celebrated her 6th trip around the sun or what most people refer to as her Birthday. The original plan was for a very girly tea party on Saturday after her game but another classmate was having her bday party on the same date and time. So, the tea party idea will remain on hold for next year and Mack instead opted for a slumber party with 3 of her closest friends. Her guests arrived at 5:30 and we began with pizza and breadsticks. Next was dessert and presents. I got the most delectable cupcakes from The Cup, champagne flavor, pink on the inside with white frosting, a tiny little flower on top and 100% organic. Unfortunately, I don't think my clan of kids truly appreciated the fineness as the frosting had disappeared but there was much cupcake remnants left on the plate. Oh well. After the present opening, it was time to do finger nails and toe nails. I was so glad to have the assistance of my niece and her friend who were in town to visit the University. I'm afraid my two hands were simply not enough for all the demands requests of the girls. One of the girls had to leave for a t-ball game leaving with us with only 2 extras for the night. So, we headed outside to play and secretly hoped to wear them out so they would sleep. Things got a little hectic at this point with one of the girls on Eli's motorized tractor not aware how to steer and nearly running into Mark's truck, Eli falling off his bicycle, Schuyler needing assistance to get her sweaty knee pads off, etc... So, we decided to head in and quiet down with a movie. Just as everyone was settled, Mark calls me from upstairs with that voice and I know. My heart is racing and I sprint up the stairs. There in my husbands loving arms is our little boy, his big blue eyes welled up with tears and the saddest little face I've ever seen. In the madness, I had assumed Eli went in the backyard with Mark to mow and Mark had assumed he went inside with me. In actuality Eli headed up to the next block on the bike path adjacent to our home. He was smart enough to know he couldn't come back down as he hasn't mastered using the breaks on his bike (a story for another time). So, he stood next to his bike looking sad and luckily one of the neighbors brought him down to us. It made me feel horrible. In fact, just rehashing it makes me feel it all over again.
Back to the party, everyone watched High School Musical 3 and then we attempted bed time. Originally, we had Eli and Schuyler on the pull out bed and Mack and her 2 buds on the blow-up mattress. Eli was having a hard time so he came upstairs. Multiple reminders were given to the girls to be quiet and rest. Then, big bad mom went downstairs to monitor. After no luck, I took Mack back to the bathroom to have a chat. We returned and then dad came to lay down the law. He said if they were unable to go to sleep we would have to call their parents and let them know. That did the trick.
Saturday, we celebrated grill out style with hamburgers and hot-dogs and family = )
Moving on, last week Schuyler attended the UNL soccer camp. It was an all day event from 8:30 - 3:30 Monday thru Thurs. You would think after a day of soccer she would come home exhausted and tired. Not so much. She was in the house long enough to tell our nanny hi and good-bye and was outside again for more soccer!
We are continuing to enjoy our nanny whom I truly believe is Mary Poppins in disguise. She cooks, cleans, and takes wonderful care of our kids. I can't believe how fortunate we are to have found her.
One more random thing. I went to get Eli's summer hair cut and was going to go shorter, not so shaggy, with a little razoring on his neck and by his ears but keeping the length and curls on top. Well, apparently the hair dresser and I were on completely different planets b/c now Mr. E has a very short hair cut. The curls are gone and it's the shortest it's been since he was 9 months old. But, ihe loves it and that's what is most important. I would love to share pics but I'm so behind on blogging I'm not even going to tell you how behind I am on pictures!!
Basking in the morning sunlight beaming in through our window.
We love you Mack!
With the kids out of school, it now truly feels like summer. Last Friday, I spent the day with Schuyler while the other 2 enjoyed their last day at the Montessori with their friends. Schuyler wasn't up for a run but instead chose to roller blade along side ahead of me. We went 3.4 miles or so. She is so good on the trails, slowing down to look back periodically and knows all the places to wait while I catch up or stop and look for cars. She was in full gear, elbow pads, wrist pads, knee pads and helmet with her MP3 player in tow. She is good little rollerblader but we were not without incident. As we were close to the end of our jaunt, I see her stumble on the skates and fall forward, MP3 player flying. I go sprinting to her and see her crying. She looks up and says, "My MP3 player, where is it? Is it broken". I assure her that it's fine and I'm much more concerned about her. She continues, "If it's broke, I want to save my money for another one". I reply, "Honey, if it's broke, Mom and Dad will by you a new one." Isn't funny how kids think sometimes. She did have a minor injury. Of all places on her hip, a big strawberry and a bruise that was initially small but has now morphed into a large, colorful bruise.
The girls have easily adjusted to the new routine of being at home but Eli is a bit slower. He doesn't understand the days of the week, Monday, Tuesday, Wed.... so he has always differentiated by "school day" and "stay at home day". Now everyday is a "stay at home day". His new terms are now a "Sam (our nanny) day" or "a mom and dad day". Seems to be working for now. We are all enjoying our nanny. She has started the kids reading program by a trip to the public library, gone to the zoo followed by a picnic at Sunken Gardens, gone swimming and a bike ride to the elementary school. I need to incorporate a little more arts and crafts but this is exactly what I wanted for the kids = )
Eli is in a "testing" phase. He uses the words stupid and poopy which we do not allow. Let me rephrase, poopy is reserved as a bathroom word and stupid is not allowed at all. He also thinks it's hysterical to spit. So, we are dealing with these not so pleasant behaviors. And the beat goes on..... and the beat goes on....
The past 2 nights Schuyler, who has ALWAYS been our excellent sleeper, has been extremely scared and had difficulties falling asleep. Well, last night we found out why and it has to do with a TV show she watched. Schuyler is very good at choosing "age appropriate" shows. She stays away from violence, profanity, etc... and in general knows the channels we consider acceptable. So, I guess you could say we have a joint monitoring system. Anyway, she found a show about incredible survival stories on National Geographic, Discover Channel, History or something of this nature. I sat down with her to watch the top 3 and kind of wondered in my head if this was something she could handle. They truly are amazing stories of human triumph and perseverance. For example, Beck Weathers who was left for dead on Mt. Everest, the 1972 Uruguayan Air Force plane that crashed in the Andes that was carrying a rugby team and family, Steven Callahan who was lost at sea for 2.5 months, or Aron Ralston who was trapped in a canyon and had to amputate his own arm. Point being, while I think this show was educational I think it has her scenario spinning in her head, something I'm sure she gets from her mother. In fact, she had DVR'ed the show but now asked that it be deleted, which I will happily do so she can sleep peacefully.
And for more off the wall information, I have an inflamed eye. I had been waking up with my eyes matted shut and very blood shot. A shower and allergy eye drops seemed to relieve most of the symptoms but the corner of my right eyes continued to be irritated and itchy. I then noticed a small, clear like pimple on my eye. Apparently, scar tissue under my eye, from a high school basketball injury, is inflamed. We're trying OTC drops but may need to resort to steroid drops if it does not go away. Oh the joys = )
There you have it, folks, our weekly ramblings.
Miss Mack graduated from Kindergarten last Friday with her other 2 classmates. Yes, a giant class of 3. I have to admit that I am a bit old fashioned and still believe that small numbers are best. However, there were many reasons behind our decision to send Mack to the Montessori for kindergarten and we had to weigh the pros and cons. In the end it was the right decision for her. Mack, we are so proud of you and all that you have accomplished in your 1st year of school. I'm astounded by so many things... your reading ability, word recognition, spelling, math facts, leadership, awareness of community and so much more. Mr. Tim actually introduced you to multiplication and division! It was wonderful to watch you have your moment on the stage, with a look of pride shining on your face. I have so many hopes and wishes for you.
I hope that your enthusiasm for school continues for many years to come.
I wish you continued success in the classroom.
I hope you hold close and nurture the friendships you have made and look forward to ones you will make.
I hope that you'll have many more talented teachers just like Mr. Tim.
I love your confidence and hope it will follow you to elementary school.
Mack was so excited to walk off the stage with her diploma in hand and her graduate t-shirt in her bag that she almost forgot give Ms. Ann a hug!
All the kids preformed songs. There were 2, one designed for the primary children and a second for the toddler children. Ms Mack delightfully participated in both. However, Eman was not the least bit interested, choosing to instead stand up and down, up and down, lie on his stomach with his head on his chin and just smile with his mischievous grin. Each child is so unique and I can see we'll have a whole new set of challenges and opportunities with him = )
Our plans for memorial day seemed to be in a constant state of flux. Mark ended up wording Saturday a.m. so the kids and I ran errands, went to the park, and got Schuyler's hair cut. After their naps, we thought we make good use of the family pool passes so the kids and I went swimming and left Dad at home to do yard work. Sunday, we left bright and early to head for Hastings since both sides of Mark's family were in town. We had a great time. Eli became good friends with his 2nd cousin Grady and we enjoyed visiting family out at Mark's aunt and uncle's farm. There was lots of 4-wheeler fun to be had by all. Eli, who last year was very timid, was quite the opposite this year, with his white hair flying in the wind, a perma-smile on his face and shouting "Wooooo hooooo" every time they raced past the front porch. Completely unplanned and unprepared, the kids spent the night with Gma and Gpa in Hastings, borrowing some of cousin Justin's old t-shirts that were going to be donated to Good Will as PJs. This allowed me the rare opportunity to get some projects done as I usually have little helpers or I'm up at midnight!
The school year comes to an end today for Miss Schuyler. I'm excited to pick her up. They had a hard day of watching Peter Pan = ) It is also play date week. Schuyler had her good friend over yesterday since she'll be spending most of the summer with her mother down in KS. Mack's play date is tonight since tomorrow will be her last day at the Montessori. Eli will return in the fall but he is wanting a play date as well but that will have to wait for some other week.
I'm trying not to freak out as I prepare the house for a nanny (and myself). This is forcing me to become organized, something I have always struggled with. So, here's to the beginning of summer.
The "active" participant in the performance.
Proceed with caution. There are uneditted pictures below. (GASP!). Mack receiving her diploma.
The hug she almost forgot.
Still trying to catch my blog up with real life. The weekend of May 15th and 16th was a busy one. For Mack, it marked 9 months or so worth of dance classes that she religiously attended. The big finale, the recital! Friday, was dress rehearsal, which was a huge success, and she even flattered me with a few pictures. Saturday was the recital but also Schuyler's last soccer game. This was a hard one for our family. Originally, I thought we could attend both but I had wrote down the act time incorrectly. Mack's performance was in the 2nd act, 3-4pm so she would perform approx at 3:30, which was when Schuyler's game started. I knew Mack would be heart broken if her mommy wasn't waiting for her backstage with flowers at the end of her act so this meant I wouldn't be able to attend and help coach Schuyler's game. Coincidentally, our head coach also had a daughter preforming in the same act so he wouldn't be able to attend either. This upset Schuyler so we decided Mark would leave right after Mack's performance. Problem solved. Unfortunately, when the kids out number the parents, there will be times when someone is going solo. As for the performance, I noticed Mack was a step off and was glancing at her teacher quite a bit, which is completely unlike her. She was spot on in the rehearsal. Well, when we got backstage, the room mother, who is Mark's co-worker, came up and said Mack had cut herself pretty bad just before they were to go on and almost didn't make it on the stage. They had to quickly scrounge up band-aids. Yes, plural. She bled through the first one and used a second one on top. We're still not sure what happened, she never fell and they can only guess that there was something sharp on the banister. The room mom said Mack cried a lot and she was going to tell Daddy how proud she was of her. I'm just so thankful that she made it on stage, she would have been so devastated and I would have been sad for her. It was a little while later when she asked, "Mom, could you hear my crying?" = )
Mack had been wanting her hair cut but we kept it long for the performance. So, Sunday we went and cut 3 inches off. It looks so much better! This would also be when Eli picked up a bottle of nail polish and dropped it on the floor, shattering in pieces in a heap or orange mess. Oops!
The girls had a dentist appt this week. Miss Mack will have to continue to wait for a loose tooth. Every other day, and in some instances every day, she says she has a loose tooth or is asking me to check and see. She is watching her friends loose teeth and so badly wants one of her own. Schuye was early to loose teeth and it looks like Mack will be on the opposite end of the spectrum. The dentist said maybe in a year or when she is 7 = ( She also has the very early beginnings of a cavity, due to how tight her teeth are. Nothing to worry about but we'll need to make sure she flosses. Schuyler has fantastic teeth but there are some concerns about tongue thrust and her tonsils. We worked with her school speech pathologist to correct the speech issues associated with tongue thrust. However, when she swallows, she continues to push her tongue forward instead of towards the roof of the mouth. Over time, this can cause dental problems. I'm not sure if we're going to address the issue now or continue to see how her mouth grows. Her tonsils continue to be enlarged and we were hoping her allergy medicine would have alleviated this. She also suffers from bad breath, which can be due to the tonsils. I've spoke with our pediatrician and were going to monitor this over the next few weeks. Sheesh, this raising kids thing is hard down to the very details.
Okay, I know I was going to elaborate on the Appletini. See, while Mark was golfing, I took the liberty of painting Eli's room. Well, the appletini was too yellow for him so we have spent many a day trying to figure out what the right color of green is. I really think green is one of the toughest colors to pick. There is yellow green, grey green, blue green, earth green, etc... Finding just the right hue has been time consuming to say the least. But, it was time for the nursery to go. No bear border and no more grey walls. I have pics so hopefully you'll see the before, the interim where we tested color after color, and the final. Well, the final isn't final yet b/c it's not done.
The day came. What day you wonder. The day where Schuyler asked her dad if he could just give her a kiss in the car before dropping her off at school. We've talked her out of it and are holding on a little longer = ) We know the days are numbered.
Decorations from the party, see previous post.
This post will be devoted entirely to Schuyler's bday and bday party and it's going to be a lengthy one!
Her birthday fell on Tuesday night, which is Mack's dance night and always a bit hectic. Schuyler wanted a picnic on the back porch so that's what the kiddos did. We had cheese steak philly's, with green beans and some kind of fruit. She was able to quickly open presents before we shuffled Mack off, MP3 player, ruffled buttercream tank top and for the finale, Mark and I signed her up for the Husker Soccer Camp. It's 4 solid days of camp down at the university with the head women's soccer coach, the assistants, and players. She is stoked! It also requires sign-off from the Dr. to attend. Had it not been for this, I would have never realized I missed her 7 year well child check-up! Sheesh. LPS was closed on Friday and by pure luck, I was able to get an appt from a cancellation. Yeah! Schuyler remains at the 90th percentile for height and 80th percentile for weight. Had I been more attentive, I would have made her wash up her dirty knees and elbows. Oh well, I was more embarrassed when the resident Dr. asked what she had for breakfast and she said nothing. Seriously. Dad forget to give her something and Grandma must not have known. In Dad's defense, Schuyler is self-sufficient and usually makes her breakfast, cereal or oatmeal, as well as her siblings.
That afternoon we were able to finish cleaning and make decorations. Here theme was Rock Star and guess what we found... a karaoke machine!! More on that in a minute. For decorations we did pink and gold balloons. We made a glitter disco ball, which was hung in the middle of the stage, once our living room, 3 tissue balls, 2 pink and 1 silver. For thank you's we compiled some of Schuye's favorite songs onto CDs as well as some rock star sunglasses. Food consisted of Pizza Hut pizza and cheese sticks and some fruit kabobs we made along with lemonade to drink. Let's not forget the cake... a microphone. I used Martha Stewart's yellow cake recipe and my usual frosting. It was not my best piece of art but the kids loved it and I would highly recommend the recipe!!
The party itself went well. It took the kids time to warm up the karoake machine and some never did but that was okay b/c we also had soccer going in the backyard = ) The karoake machine had 2 microphones, hooked up to the TV so you could see the words nice and big and 2 speakers. The most popular songs were Girls Just Want to Have Fun and All Star (from Shrek). We also had colored hair spray going on... yellow, orange, black, silver and glitter. This year, Schuyler asked that in lieu of gifts her friends consider a donation to the new penguin exhibit at the Lincoln Zoo =)
All the family was able to attend her soccer game on Saturday and it was like having her own cheering section. Afterwards we grilled at our house and had ice cream cake.
I interviewed her the other night. I do this periodically and record it and then compare to previous years. It's fun.
Favorite Color: Yellow. I also like red, blue and white. (Her favorite color has never changed since her first interview at 2 1/2!!)
Favorite Food: pizza. (It used to be strawberries)
Favorite Sport: Soccer (that one is a no-brainer)
Favorite Book: Mia Hamm. (then I asked her series) Magic Treehouse series
Favorite Song: Boom Boom Pow (the Black Eyed Peas)
Favorite Team: Nebraska and Kansas (where did Kansas come from?)
Favorite Movie: Kick like a girl (don't ask)
Favorite Animal: Dog (used to be penguin)
What do you want to be when you grow up? - Soccer Coach or Soccer player (used to be teacher)
This next one is new and her response was hilarious
Where do you most want to go for vacation?: South Carolina (South Caroling? I ask) Oh wait, I mean North Carolina (me - what's in N. Carolina?) The Tarheels, where Mia Hamm lives. (me - oh honey, she just went to college there, I don't think she lives there any more) Well, I want to go where ever she lives now so I can meet her.
Schuyler, we are so proud to be your parents and we're in total shock that your 8! You're the first born, our leader, smart, sensitive, kind hearted, loving, giving, caring, talented and absolutely precious. You are, and will always be our little miss sunshine.
Just one more thing. Mrs Gourdie came over to me as I was waiting for the bell to ring to announce the end of your school day. She said, "I want you to know something that your daughter did. Today, during P.E. she helped the girls, showed them how to do things and was patient in teaching them. It meant everything to those girls. She could have been doing a number of other things or hanging out with her friends. I'm so proud of her and I told her that. I just wanted to pass it on to you". See, Mrs. Gourdie works with 2 girls in Schuyler's class who have Downs Syndrome, referred to as the girls above. I can't tell you how much this warms my heart.
Next week, who likes Appletini? I do, but it might not be in the way one would guess = )
Enjoying her new MP3 player.
I have come to realize that my kids can be extremely thoughtful when they want to be and I need to recount a few things from Mother's Day before I forget!
My girls created a Mother's Day song and even choreographed a dance to it! They sent me on a scavenger hunt in the basement to find the many cards they had created. There were handprints, cute little sayings and one where they each created lists of the things they were thankful for. They do see the little things I do, like make lunches for them every night before I go to bed and do the laundry, etc...
Schuyler went to the extra trouble of having members of her soccer team sign a poster for me at school. I wondered what she and her little friend were doing after school when I picked her up on Friday. They were huddled around a paper and I even asked if it was a Mother's Day present and they both quickly answered, one with a yes the other with a no. I knew they were up to something but wasn't going to press the issue!
And my husband, we'll, he's pretty thoughtful, too! I told him NOT to buy anything as my running shoes were a gift to myself. So, in my card I found coupons. Or, some might call them gift cards...
Husband makes the kids lunches (good for up to 5 punches)
Husband knocks off one of the honey do's.
Husband watches kids so mother get girls night out.
Husband cleans whole house.
You get the idea. Pretty awesome.
I still need to recount the bday and post pics. Honestly, I don't have a lot of pics. See, with 9 kids plus our 3 and only 2 adults, we had our hands full. I'm also learning a few things about myself. As much as I want to capture and record memories I would rather have my daughter remember me as participating in the activities and not constantly lurking with the camera. So, when I was summoned to play soccer in the backyard or come sing a little karaoke, that's what I did.
Speaking of soccer, Schuyler survived her back to back, double header this week. She's on a scoring streak. She scored the teams only goals this weekend (4 in total). Last week the score was 8 to something and she had 6 of the goals! Mack was a bit out of it at last weeks game but had a good showing this week and scored a goal herself.
Back to my to-do list!
