Last Day of Pre-School

Wow - you don't think your kids can change that much in 9 months of school, but here is the proof!  Our little girl is growing up!  I think she grew two inches too!

Last week Elizabeth finished her first year of pre-school.  The plan was to have the last day in the park, but mother nature had other plans - rain of course!  The teachers did a great job of setting up games in the recreational room and the kids had a great time.  Grant even got to participate in the fun.  Miss Laura was her teacher this year.  Unfortunately, Miss Laura had a family emergency the last week of school and was unable to finish the year with us.  Miss Laura was wonderful and I regret that I never got a picture of her and Elizabeth together.   I am starting the "Oh the Places You Will Go" book for the kids and will ask their teachers to write on a different page each year of their schooling.  I am still hopeful that Miss Laura will be able to do this for me!  We will also be heading to ChuckEcheese's in the near future to celebrate that Elizabeth had all "green lights" for the year.  Each day the teacher sends home a report with a stop light and Elizabeth had greens all year for good behavior.

Elizabeth had a great year and is off to a wonderful academic and social start!  It is hard to believe that I was the one crying last September when I dropped her off.  She was ready to go and it was time, but still so hard for me to think about.  Mainly, because I start thinking about what comes after these precious pre-school years...real school!  My friend who has kids in similar age to mine said it perfect "if we could just freeze time right now. " No more diapers, naps are becoming more optional, they are becoming more independent and in turn we get to have so much fun with them right now because we have to time to dedicate to just fun.  We can travel during the week and not worry about them missing school and in so many ways (minus the meltdowns) it just seems like such a pefect age...for all of us!  But as I am always reminded, it is a good thing that they are growing up, it means they are healthy and it is what is supposed to happen.  Here are a few pictures from the festivities of the last day.

Veil, Ashlyn, Elizabeth & Julianna

Elizabeth with Miss Holly

On the obstacle course

You Don't Win Them All

I was distracted when I wrote my Mother's Day post and failed to give a shout out to my own mother, who I deeply admire.  However, today I was reminded of just how much I love her.  She always tells me what I need to hear and today I needed her.

A picture is worth a thousand words right?  Well this picture actually isn't even from today, but perfectly depicts the phase Grant is in.  This is the classic Grant Pout.  He crosses his arm and puckers his lips out.  Sometimes failing on the ground or crying is also involved, but when confined to the carseat we just get a lovely "no."  On this particular day I had an early meeting for Grant's speech stuff. As a treat to the kids I took them to McDonalds for breakfast before Elizabeth's school started.  He had just finished his burrito and we had time to play.  Elizabeth crawls all over the playland.  Grant has only made it to the top once and I had to retrieve him that time, so I don't ever really encourage him.  Today I looked up and he was proudly at the top.  I truly believe he is trying so hard to keep up with his big sister.  He was smiling and the two of them crawled around for awhile.  Elizabeth would descend but Grant stayed up.  It was approaching departure and I told them it was time to come down.  Elizabeth promptly comes down and I look up and there sits Grant.  "Help me."  I stayed cool, calm and collected for the next ten minutes as I tried to coax him down.  Elizabeth tried to get him down.  At one point I even told her just to pull on him, but he had a death grip on the edge and wouldn't move.  Of course there is a lot of crying throughout all of this.  I am starting to loose my cool.  Elizabeth is going to be late for school and he will not listen to any sort of reasoning.  Let me share with you what I am wearing...you guessed it, a skirt.  It's going to be 90 degrees today and I was dressed for the heat.  An older gentleman had brought his granddaughter for breakfast and is witnessing all of this.  I know there is no way I can crawl up to the top without giving grandpa quite the show, but after 15 minutes (ok, maybe it wasn't that long, but it felt that long!) I gave up and started my climb as ladylike as possible.  I think Grant was quite surprised to see me at the top.  It didn't take long for us to get down and I carried him out with no shoes on and any mother could have read the look on my face.  I informed him when we got to the car that I hoped he enjoyed his playland experience because it would be his last one for a VERY, VERY, VERY long time.  In my family we refer to this as David's ShowBiz Experience (like ChuckECheese), where he refused to get out of the ball pit and Dad swore he would never take us back and we really never went back.  Of course Elizabeth found this news unsettling, but as an older sister who received a similar punishment from her brother not behaving, I survived and she will too.

Next on the agenda was to get Elizabeth to school and Grant ready for swim lessons.  We successfully got EB dropped off and then Grant was ready for battle again.  We came home and he had gone to the bathroom so he came out with only his undies on. I gave him the choice of putting his shorts back on or we could go ahead and change into his trunks, his response "nothing."  Ok, perfect.  It is important to give strong willed children choices, I gave him a choice, why won't he make a good choice!!! I give us both a few moments to cool off and try again, "shorts or trunks?"  Again, "nothing!"  Pops is on his way to pick him up for swimming so I wrestle him to the ground to get his shorts on.  Fun times here.  Again more crying.  Thankfully a big red truck drove by that I was able to distract him with and he stopped crying.  Pops pulls in and I say "Good Luck!"  We hadn't had a successful swim lesson yet and by successful I mean without tears.  Apparently, he got them all out this morning because he called me after lessons and he made it through without any tears and even went under water twice.  YES!! I will take this one and put it in the win column.  Yay for Grant and yay for Kenny Pops!

How does my mother play into all of this you are wondering?  I whined to her about this less than perfect morning and she listened and she listened some more.  She empathized and sympathized with me and then she told me exactly what I needed to hear.  "Alison, be grateful your son can climb to the top of the playland.  You don't have to take him back for a long time, but you have good kids and you are a good mom and it will get better. It is a phase and this too shall pass." Oh the wisdom of a mother. When you are in the trenches you can't always see your way out, but leave it to mom to help you see the light.  Thanks Mom!

Mother's Day

I truly feel like the luckiest mom in the world and I had a wonderful Mother's Day!  Even though I rolled my eyes the previous day at lunch because we were seated a huge corner booth and both children insisted on sitting right on top of me - I wouldn't trade those moments for anything!  I must give my husband a big shout out, because of all of his hard work I am able to do what I love everyday, which is be a full-time mom.  Some days are easier than others, but when we have good days we have awesome days and those far outweigh the bad.  

This particular Sunday started with Grant waking up at 6:15.  Brandon promptly escorted him downstairs and Elizabeth wasn't far behind.  I lounged around in bed until 7:30 (late by my mommy standards!) and then was greeted with gifts.  Daddy had taken them shopping one night when I was gone.  The kids had picked out new pajamas for me.  Elizabeth found monkey printed pj pants that match her nightgown (what are the chances?!).  My mom had secretly been working on a few little crafty projects with the kids too.  We headed to church, where the Sunday School kids did a little program for the mothers.  Grant is not actually in Sunday School, but he had gone with me a few weeks ago and enjoyed the music portion so much that the other teachers told me it was ok if he wanted to participate in the program as well.  He was thrilled and did a pretty job keeping up with the movements.  I positioned him to stand right next to Elizabeth, so he would feel more comfortable.  In one of the songs they hug the kids standing next to them and they hugged each other every time (precious!).  We stayed for church and Grant said the funniest thing.  We were getting ready to go up for communion and he asked if he could have "chips" (referring to the bread).  I told him no, he had to wait until he was older and then he asked if could have the "juice!"  Apparently to a two year old, communion is just snacks for adults!  I love it that he is talking so much now and we are getting the funny, quirky verbal Grant!  Short side bar....he had his speech evaluation for the school district and he DIDN'T qualify.  Woohoo!  The therapist thought he had made enough progress and would continue to do so over the summer so we are going tomorrow to sign discharge papers.  He will continue with Early Intervention through his birthday, but then be done.  If I feel he needs to be re-screened we can do that in the fall.  I always thought he would have a "light bulb" moment with his speech, but it has been more like a dimmer switch, but we are getting brighter! Way to go Grant!

We had a lazy afternoon and then headed over to my parent's to celebrate.  The boys made us an awesome seafood dinner and mom had made a rhubarb cobbler with fresh rhubarb she had brought home from my grandma's.  (It was delicious Grandma! Wish we could have shared it with you!)

We finished with a walk/Powerwheels Jeep ride and that was our Sunday.  I went to bed feeling very blessed indeed.  Now, if I could just slow things down a bit so I could savor it even more!  Elizabeth and Grant: thank you for being YOU everyday, I am so proud to be your mother!

First Tee-Ball Game

It's a lot of fun to take pictures through the fence!

Today was Elizabeth's first T-ball game.  Their shirts say "Tee-Ball" (not really sure which is correct).  It was a perfect Sunday afternoon for a game.  Team 7, is now known as the blue team!  Everyone bats each inning.  They play 3 innings or 45 minutes, whichever comes first.  We got in 2 innings today.  Elizabeth had fun.  No dandelion picking yet, but they were all in the infield!  

The line-up was passed out

I promise she was wearing shorts under that shirt!

Love this picture!  Daddy was asking her if she knew where to go next...she correctly pointed to 3rd!

She held this pose the entire time playing defense.   The last hit of the game a ball finally rolled her way!

Always a smile for the camera!

Swing batter batter, swing!

A "low-five" for the coach!

Grant ate snacks and really wanted to take a nap