Santa Picture

Just in case the Christmas Cards don't get sent out, here are two of the pictures you might have gotten...

I love to hear myself talk

Luci, "Did you know there is a sense, every sense? I am having a sense of hearing myself right now!" If you saw the way she pointed to her ear and the expression of delight on her face when she said it you would think it as great as I.

A distraction

Grace, "Mommy, I need to get up here to use this mirror so I can see the tangles and get them out."

"Just go use your mirror in your room."

Yes, but if I use the full mirror I can see my whole body and that might interrupt me.

(This was actually said this summer)

If you can't beat them, join them

An early Christmas gift for the kids was very cute Christmas aprons and some cookie recipes to go with it. Tonight while Daniel was mixing and I turned my head, this is what happened...

"Mommy yook, Grace!" [Grace dips her finger in the bowl]


"Mommy yook, Yuci!" [Luci dips her finger in the bowl]


Daniel deciding, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em"


Here are some other cookie baking pics...

Jesus, God and Fairies

Today I was explaining to Grace that accoding to the scientists, winter won't start until tomorrow. Of course she realized the irony of all the ice and snow on the ground and stated, "The scientists don't get to decide when winter starts." So I asked who did. She stated, "Jesus, God and fairies."

Here comes Santa Clause

Ken was Santa at the Glenwood Christmas dinner Thursday night. He was great. I've already heard our boss rave 2 times about how great he was. He sounded just like Santa when he entered with a Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas! The kids were all excited. The five and under crowd believed it was the real Santa, until their older brothers and sisters told them it wasn't. Grace figured it out, but Luci still believes it was the real Santa. She asked, "How did he know our names?"

She told me she was disappointed this morning that Santa didn't give her the gift she asked him for last week. I explained he was just making an appearance and reassured her that she would get her requested gift when he visits the house on Christmas Eve. Ken said he could tell she believed he was the real Santa by the look on her face when he came around to visit them. The horrible tragedy about the whole thing is I was so worried about how Daniel was going to make it though the formal Christmas Dinner and program without incident (which he didn't make it 30 seconds before I called Aunt Susie to come and get him)that I forgot my camera!!!! I'm hoping to get pictures from others, but also being in charge of 12 boys along with the 2 girls by myself (since Ken was otherwise occupied) I didn't get a picture of the girls with Santa. So bummed about that.

We're having a hard time deciding how to talk about this event in our house. Ken wants to talk to Grace all about it and hear how great it was that Santa choose her daddy to sit in for him (this works because Ken frequently calls Santa to "tell" on Luci for not cleaning her room), but Luci thinks he was real. Grace still believes in Santa so if we tell her to talk about him like he was real to Luci, I think she will get even more of a clue about Santa not being real. She already suspects the tooth fairy is not. She said the note the tooth fairy left her after the first tooth loss sounded a lot like what I would write. And the last time Grace lost a tooth, the tooth fairy didn't come for 2 days. Luckily Grace's neighbor lost a tooth at the same time and the tooth fairy wasn't able to make it for a couple days either. We decided she was probably sick. Guess what, as I'm writing this I just remembered the tooth fairy didn't come this morning either! Maybe it was because Grace camped out in the living room instead of her bed. How long do I have to be responsible for these charades? I think it is not my parenting forte!

But finally I wish you all could have been at the dinner. Ken did such an awesome job. He even said he enjoyed it. More so if the suit wasn't so hot and if his glasses wouldn't have kept fogging up. He said Santa is such a powerful figure. Even students (and some adults) that he is sure don't care for him as a house parent/teacher came up to give him a hug and say hello. He said it was a magical feeling (well he didn't say magical feeling but I bet it was). Way to go honey. You helped make the point that Santa is not just about commercialized gift giving for the little ones, but a figure that brings authentic joy and happiness to the holiday season!

Luci, holding a marigold, "Mom, you have GOT to smell this"
Me, "MMMMM smells good, do you like it?" (Not sure because sometimes I don't like the smell of marigolds).
Luci, "I LOVE IT!"

She takes time to smell the flowers. So sweet.

Hey, Macarena

Tuesday night Ken and Grace had a date. Daddy-Daughter Dance. They dressed the theme...Hawaiian and were on their way. They danced songs like Let Me See You Shake Your Tail Feather, and the song that you "stomp one time, etc". Ken taught her the Macarena. She is showing off one of her new Macarena moves in the photo above...

So considerate

Grace, Luci and friends were crafting on their bedroom floor earlier today. Everyone was told to clean up, but Luci was not partaking. So I told everyone she would have to do it by herself. But alas, all the playing wore Luci out and she wasn't able to finish. She chose bedtime instead.

So the exciting news of the day was Grace lost her 2nd tooth!!! But she came to me with this dilemma...

"Mom, Luci didn't finish cleaning up and the Tooth Fairy is coming. We don't want her to trip and stub her toe on the mess! Will you help me clean up?"

So I did, and so I'm set back further in the fight to get Luci to take responsibility and clean up in order to do the mom duty of saving another fictional character's cover. And, cleaning up which I HATE!

Grace was also considerate because she asked her friends today if they wanted to help her figure out where to place her tooth for the tooth fairy. Upon small discussion they decided on a place. Before bed I asked Grace where her tooth was (for an efficient exchange later that night). She showed me and said, "I put it here so the Tooth Fairy could get it easy and not wake me up."

So considerate she is.

I play my drum for you...

Daniel: watching Dora and the drum parade.

Luci: Comes in and sees Dora and the drum parade. Says, "Oh man, I forgot my drum!"

Daniel: Runs to the television "grabs" a drum and brings it to his sister in need.

Luci: Says thank you and starts drumming her pretend drum.

Kudos to Ken!

A video team was on campus taping the boys and girls and various aspects of campus life. The program manager overseeing much of the project reported the students overwhelmingly picked Ken's science class as their favorite in the school.

Kudos Ken!

One of the worst days...

One of the worst days of a mother's life is when her 2 year old is dry heaving and there is nothing she can do about it. Especailly after he already threw up 4 times in one night. :-(

Tagged

Do I dare reveal my quirks? I have been tagged by OCH so I guess I will be breaking blog law if I don't?

1. My first I didn't realize was a quirk. Thought it was just thoughtful bed time routine, but since the Mrs. brought it up I guess I should reveal that I too have 3 pillows set in a specific place on the bed. If Ken touches them before bed, he knows he's in trouble. He is allowed to borrow after I have left for exercise in the mornings. And the pillow closest to my head has to be the silkiest one. I also work hard to find the best thread count I can and have the most comfortable comforter that I got for 70% off.

2. I always set the tv volume to an even number! I have no idea where this came from. On occasion I think it's ok at higher volumes to set it on a multiple of 5.

3. I can't stand it when there are no numbers on the volume of a television. And when Ken turns it up or down to an odd number, I bite my lip! This is the first time I have ever let this out to Anyone! Feels good, I think.

4. I don't like seeing movies. It's not that I don't like movies so much, I just don't like wasting my time at a bad one. I also have a hard time sitting straight up for so long. I like to stretch out on a couch. So I would rather just skip them altogether. If it weren't for popcorn with extra butter, I would.

5. I think I have the best mom and dad ever! (Is that quirky or does everyone think that?)

6. I don't do it anymore, but when I lived on Waupansie, I remember riding or driving down Washington and ever so slightly ducking my head when I went under the electrical wires or trees. I don't know where it came from but I used to do it quite a bit. Weird.

Maybe this is more than I need to let out, but come on. You know you have some quirky behaviors too. Don't judge.

A distraction

Grace, "Mommy, I need to get up here to use this mirror so I can see the tangles and get them out."

"Just go use your mirror in your room."

Yes, but if I use the full mirror I can see my whole body and that might interrupt me.

Picture problem

I'm having trouble manipulating pictures but I think you can tell what pictures go with what part of the next story.

Whoa is me.

6:00--Grace is up and adam, a full 2 hours before the bus arrives. As Ken exclaimed tearfully, "It took her less than 3 minutes to get ready!"
6:05--Grace proclaims she's ready to go get on the bus.
6:55--Ken is off to school with the boys, I'm cleaning up tear filled tissue scattered around the computer.
7:00-7:55--Grace is sitting in front of the television, every now and then exclaiming that she wants to go to the bus now.
7:30--I start simmering "Superman" soup (tomato) because that is what she likes for lunch. Her lunch consisted of soup, croutons, bread with butter (on her father's insistance because she really didn't want it) pineapple and pistacios. (as I'm writing this I remember that I forgot to tell her to put the shells in the bag with her napkin and spoon. I'm hoping she doesn't make a big mess and I'm doubly hoping she doesn't spill the soup.)
7:56--I remember that we didn't do her homework. We quickly pull out the newspaper and Grace cuts out a bottle of apple juice and some cute bags from Kohl's. They are red. We put them in the envelope and in the backpack.
8:03--We head up front to wait for the bus. I imagine us on the couch, but Grace runs outside and sits on a chair.
8:10--Grace sees 2 buses at the stop light. She exclaims, "The bus is here." I say lots of buses go through that light so we have to wait for a bus to come on campus.
8:11--A bus comes on campus. I not so quietly hope it is the one picking up the High School Bloom students, 40 minutes early.
8:12--The bus comes around the corner clearly headed for our house. The twins come jumping out of their house and with Grace they shout together, "The bus is coming! The bus is coming."
8:12:30--Grace starts to run for the bus. I have to call her back for a hug.
8:12:32--She runs back to the bus and gets on, completely comfortable finding a seat on her own. The twins follow and they all sit together. Mrs. Warner takes a picture and Grace calls out to her, "Tell my mom I said Good-bye!"
8:13--The bus pulls off. The twins' grandmother looks at me and says, "No tears?!" I reply, "Oh there's gonna' be tears." And I can't hold off any longer. All the while I wonder why a Nationally Board Certified teacher is letting her child go to school when I could do a great job teaching her at home. But her excitement this morning is the main reason. She really thrives being with other kids and loves making new friends. It's just ironic that the 10 years I taught I often thought Kindergarten would be more meaningful for the students as a full day program. But, now that my own daughter is going, I desparately want a half day program.
8:14--Luci says with a sad look, "I miss Gracie already." Daniel repeats with a sad look on his face.
12:20--I mentioned at lunch that Grace was having pineapple for lunch just like us and I was told not to mention her name at the table.
3:30--15 minutes after we were expecting the bus, the bus pulls onto campus.
3:31--Grace and company get out.
3:31:30--They are still walking while Mrs. Warner, Ken and I wait patiently at the cottage for them to sprint into our arms, knowing they must have missed us as much as we missed them all day long.
3:31:45--They walk.
3:31:50--Grace breaks into a gallop. Finally she saw us...we think.
3:31:55--She was just catching up with her long legged friends.
3:32--FINALLY, she sees us and does a little jog towards us. Luci intercepts her first. "Mommy! Daddy!" I still question whether she was genuine or could see in our faces that we really needed a Mommy Daddy moment.
The rest of the afternoon she entertained our questions with stories of how much fun she had. She did love it. She didn't spill the soup and she ate about half of everything in her lunch. She ate the rest when she got home.
So it was a success. Grace was just as excited for the bus the 2nd day, but she remembered to give me a kiss before she hopped on. I still got wet eyes, and Luci still said, "I miss Grace already" as soon as the bus left. Daniel was quietly pouting too. But Grace didn't forget them. The second day she brought home a piece of candy for Luci and Daniel to share. She got it for knowing one of the rules in gym class.

The little differences

So we have been spending a good part of the summer at the pool. Grace has finally gotten the nerve to go off the diving board. First with a life jacket, but today she wanted to go without it. The first time she jumped off into my arms. The second time I was trying to relish the time warping front flip I just landed. The judges only put out a 4.5, but for the first time in 15 years, I was satisfied. So I was trying to enjoy this and Grace just ran off into the water and swam to the side herself! I was very impressed (and glad that she didn't drown).

But, the greatest part about today was the slide. Daniel even likes the slide. When he gets bored with the other 2 pools, he actually asks to go down it. And for those of you who don't know, it is a 3 story twisty-turny slide. So we went to the slide. See if you can enjoy the difference in reactions on the way down....

Daniel--He he he. He he he. Giggle-laughing the whole way down.
Luci--Weeeeeeeeee. This is fun. Weeeeeeee. Whoah, we're almost done! Weeeeee.
Grace--How do they build water slides? Mom, who ever thought of how to build the first water slide?

Unlock the Future

So Luci went outside to play--swing to be more specific. And she was doing some crazy stuff, leaning back, etc. So I asked Grace if she was going outside to play. She said, "No, I want to unlock the future." Very matter of factly.

What she meant was she wanted to watch Cyberspace. From what I can see Cyberspace is the Dora equivelant of a tv show. In otherwords it has a lot of value to it. Cyberspace is funded by The National Science Foundation and focuses on problems that have to do with math. They throw in some social skills problems as well. She loves to unlock the future.

The girls had their end of the year celebration for preschool. Grace "graduated" from the program. Luci got a certificate: she will graduate next year.

Doesn't Daniel look cute here! I can assure you it is a facade. He was a royal terror during the whole thing.
And their friends...

Secret confessions of a 3 year-old

Ken after seeing Luci's orange hands post Cheetos snacktime -Go wash your hands, they're a mess.

Luci-(walking toward the bathroom, talking to herself, in earshot of me, but not knowing it) Dad said to wash my hands, but I'm just going to lick them because I LOVE CHEETOS!

Even Luci knew it was too loud...

Why does my 5 year old already know that when a song plays with subject, We Rock, she must turn it up to parent maddening decibles?

'Kisses don't work' drama continues

So lately the kisses don't work again. But today I gave Luci a hug after my kiss didn't work on her hurt noggin. She so sweetly exclaimed, "Now your hugs work!"

Sorry for the long delay in blogging. We bought a new computer and I'm fretting setting up the camera again. I will try to at least add tidbits for those of you who check religiously and find nothing!

Juli

Sorry

Daniel hit Luci with his train. I know this isn't exactly proud parent reporting material, but there's more. Luci came to tell on him and express her sadness. As she was doing this, Daniel came and gave her a big hug (almost knocked her down) and said his, "arry" (sorry). I didn't even have to tell him too!

He has been saying please, thank you and even your welcome at appropriate times. (For a while he was saying your welcome when I gave him a cracker.) I think manners are so cute on little 2 year olds.

A dapper shirt

So Grace was organizing her shirts because I told her maintanence was coming to do their yearly inspection and we needed to make sure everything was clean and organized. While organizing her shirts she came to me and asked if I could clean her shirt because it has a stain on it. "It's really a dapper shirt and it feels so comfortable." TV is not all bad. She learned dapper from Pinky Dinky Doo, a show on Noggin.

The Ballet

Exit right
Waiting for the thank yous to end.

Backstage before the show.
I think this was supposed to be a big growly bear move. Notice how in all the pictures she is looking right at the camera!


This is what you think it is.

Luci's Ballet was tonight. She did wonderful. Very cute just like the three year old ballet was supposed to be. She first yelled from way across the stage, "Hi Daddy!" She made a very good bear. She was great at the "swimming" move. She made sure to pause and point out, right in the middle, that she is not supposed to cross the line on the stage, and she had no shame in attending to a little..umm shall we say discomfort...down there, right on stage, both front and back. (You see ballerinas don't wear underwear for perfomances.) At the end of the show when thank you's were being handed out, she couldn't stop bowing with her friends. So, it is no suprise that when I asked her what her favorite part of the show was, she said bowing.

Grace also got to be a part of the ballet. Actually I did too. We were customers shopping in the store. We picked out our toys in the beginning of the play. At the end, the boxes we recieved our gifts in were empty because the toys didn't want to leave the toy store. Grace gave a great surprise look. The toys chased us out of the store. It was quite fun.

In this video you can see the girls walking off the stage. I don't know why I didn't think to tape their performances with the digital camera, but now I know I easily could. You can see the ballet teacher telling Grace what a great job she did and Grace's reaction. So cute.

During the car ride home I asked Grace if she enjoyed acting. She said she did and she would do it again, but she would not like to take ballet, just watch Luci. I asked her why. She said because she just didn't get it. It was too hard for her.

I started to feel bad that she thought this way about herself (although the statement is not totally false) until not 2 minutes later she started telling me she knew 3+3 =6 and 5+5=10 and 6+6=12. I asked her how she knew all this information. She said, "If it wasn't for these hands I couldn't do any of it." How cute, but I am a savy and nationally board certified teacher. I can understand 3+3 and 5+5, but I had to ask, "How did you figure out 6+6 when you don't have 6 fingers?" She replied, "I just pretended each hand had one extra finger and counted them that way!" Now where did she learn that? I asked and she said no one told her she was just smart. I think I believe her, but if anyone has given her this advice, please let me know. And by the way I don't feel bad for her. Luci has her strengths and Grace has hers. They share quite a few and each have their own individual ones. Can life be more perfect for a mother?

More spring break pics

Spring Break

Here are some pictures from our spring break. We went to Southern Illinois to load up on our Saluki wear and relax in an A frame cabin. We were invisioning peace and quiet, no tv ect., but what we got was a nice little cabin with all the ammenities...tv, dvd, dishwasher, etc. It was still relaxing. 2 small ponds surounded the cabin. There was a nice picnic table and fire pit. We had s'mores every night (the last night microwaved due to rain). But the weather was beautiful every day. We went on hikes and fishing also...
Note Daniel swiping the grahms and chocolate







Gathering wood for a fire with no charcoal. Ken and I both got it going at separate times, but couldn't keep it up. We saw the rain coming and blamed it on that as we headed inside for microwave smores.