St.Jude Kids Color Run

The kids look forward to the St.Jude Kids run every year.  They like to be like Pops! This year was really fun because they did a color run.  None of us had experienced this before but they had a blast and it actually wasn't too messy. It was like crushed sidewalk chalk powder.  Good job kiddos!  "Kids Saving Kids"

Grandparent's Day CPS

We are so fortunate to have loving grandparent's that live in the tri-county area so what are the chances that they are ALL out of town on Elizabeth's first grandparent's day at school? Turns out, pretty good.  She was so bummed, but we assured her that she has plenty of people that love her and she could ask anyone and they would gladly be her guest for the morning.  Enter, the wonderful Aunt Sandy to save the day.  She got a little tour and they did some apple activities in the classroom and were then treated to a little concert.  Sandy said that she is very quiet and reserved in class.  I think they both enjoyed their time together.

Grant's Pre-school

Because of Grant's summer birthday and speech delay we have decided to send him to kindergarten late.  So even though he is 4, I enrolled him in the 3's class so he could do the 4's next year.  After a month of school I wasn't sure this was the best fit for him and after conferring with the director and teacher we decided to move him to the 4's class.  It is the same teacher, same classroom just three days instead of two and of course new classmates.  I didn't want to come right out and tell him that he was changing classes so I told him about an hour before he started his new class that there would be some new kids in his class.  He handled the transition just fine and when I picked him up he said "Mommy you were right there were a lot of new kids in my class!" So maybe he isn't as smart as what we thought :) Two weeks later he has put the pieces together.  At any rate, he seems to be happy and really enjoys playing with the neighbor girl when the two classes are combined for activities.  He is writing his first name well and is trying very hard to read with Elizabeth (not really, he just likes to be an annoying little brother and repeat everything she says!).  Tomorrow is our field trip to the pumpkin patch so I will get to meet the kids in his class....should be interesting!

Grant's Fall Soccer

How adorable is that smile!

In effort to get B home from work a little earlier I persuaded him to commit to coaching a 5 and under soccer team this fall.  Due to work travel we anticipated he would miss a few games so we (I) recruited our good buddy Matt to help out too!  Work ended up taking B out for two weeks and Matt out for one of the same weekends and I redefined the term "soccer mom."  Yes I actually coached one Saturday morning game.  I really shouldn't use the term coach...encourage would probably be more accurate.  "Good job! Stay with the ball! Good job! Good job!  Yay!"  (as I whispered under my breath to the opposing coach "is this a corner kick? oh goal kick, right!") Hey, I tried.  I might have also been the only coach to ever call a game early due to melt-downs, but I'm a mom and I call it like I see it and those kids were done!  The smile in his picture says it all.  Grant loved soccer and the big boys had a pretty good time too.  The last game was called off by the coaches (not the organization!) due to rain.  It was a soggy mess.  I loved watching him play but getting him dressed for a game was a major ordeal!  I could never get the socks adjusted just right and the shoes on the right way and the shin guards on the way he wanted.  At the beginning of the year they had soccer academies, big practices with all of the teams.  It was too much for him and I was on the field with him the whole time or he was crying.  We finally gave up on the academies and just let him do the games and he was fine, well better.  He still melted down a few times when he thought I was leaving, but he rebounded! I would tell him "Grant, do you see other mommies out her holding their son's hands to kick the ball?!"  It was kind of sweet, but c'mon you can do this!! And he did figure it out and had a lot of fun.  As you can tell by the picture it was a small team (3 played at a time) and they all got quality playing time!  He thought he won every game (score was never kept) and no matter who scored they were all excited.  Although I do not fully grasp the rules of soccer I throughly enjoyed watching (WATCHING, not coaching)!

I love this action shot

A lot of coaching going on here.  Mainly B would yell "GO TO THE BALL!"

Coach has his game face on, Grant has an itch :)

I know, I know....

So much to catch up on.... But for now I leave you with these sweet faces :)

Grant's First Day of School (and speech and soccer!)

Right after we got big sister on the bus it started..."I don't want to go to school."  This pretty much continued for the next 45 minutes and even as we were pulling into the parking lot he was still saying it.  So I took his hand and I kissed it and I told him to save it for whenever he needed it.  He said "I put it in my pocket mom."  I took him into the room and we found his hook and name tag and then found some dinosaurs to play with.  Then we started the "Ok, I'm going to go now, you have a fun day, I love you."  And after about ten minutes and lots more kisses and hugs he was very brave and let me walk out of the room.  I stood outside the door and we both held it together very well.  At least this year I got to the car before I started crying and I am getting smarter...I parked in the back of the parking lot.

Last hug before Elizabeth gets on the bus - he had to have his backpack on too!

When I picked him up he was all smiles and had a great time.  He told me I could have my kiss back, he didn't need to use it (insert my heart melting).  We headed to DQ for a special lunch.  He really only wanted the  Dilly Bar but he ate the hot dog and we ran out of time so off to speech we went.  His speech is at Elizabeth's school and during her lunch time so I sat down with her while she ate her lunch.  I still don't think he knows that EB and I had lunch together and I am pretty sure she doesn't know that he had DQ.  They are getting much better at keeping their mouths shut about the special things they get to do!  Lunch was very interesting, a little insight to the world of kindergarten!  Grant had a good speech session.  His s blends are better we are now working on g's and hard k's.  It would be great if he could say his own name really well :)

Throwing the ball in - I really don't understand the rules of soccer!

That night he had his first soccer game.  They had a little practice before and then a 30 minute game.  There are only 6 players on the team and in the first 5 minutes our team was down to 3.  One injury and two girls who weren't really feeling like playing soccer.  Grant got a lot of playing time and he did so good.  Soccer academy hadn't gone so well.  And by not well I mean he insisted one of us be on the field with him the whole time.  I anticipated he would like the game setting better and Brandon and our good friend Matt are coaching so he was comfortable.  I was pretty impressed with the skill set of the little ones and the coaches did good too ;)  Not sure I realized that soccer was saturday mornings at 8am, so I hope he likes it!

This is Grant just being silly - but that is so his "I'm teasing" face!

Such a goofball!

Second day before school...."Why did you sign me up for preschool?"
On the way home after 2nd day of school...."Can I come back on Tuesday?"  Maybe there is hope because not going to school is not an option.  He did say on the way home he did not want to go to kindergarten.  Guess we have a few years to work on that one!

Elizabeth's First Day of School

A new charm for her bracelet...Minnie Mouse.

Elizabeth and the neighbor boy who rides the bus with her

Elle and Grant the pre-schoolers!

Just focus on the braid here people!

Hello Mr.Martin! 

That is her in the window there...it is oh so appropriate that she would choose the seat with the emergency window!

She is so ready!!!

I can only describe the first day of school as being like a birth plan.  Toss it out the window because it's not going to go the way you think it will!  I can say that because it is all in the past and we all survived - if I had only known that morning to forget the plan!

The kids always get to choose their breakfast on the first day of school.  EB wanted chocolate chip muffins so I made them from scratch and cooked them in our little Babycakes appliance.  These are mini sized.  She ate one and I burnt the last batch.  The outfit went as planned - phew!  We all took pictures and walked to the corner to catch the bus.  The neighbor peeked down the road and said "Here comes the bus!" my stomach seized up inside of it's self and for a moment I considered grabbing her and running inside with her - NO you can't have her!  But of course I wiped my lipstick mark off her forehead and watched her spring up the stair of the big yellow bus.  Lord help me this is really happening.  But not to fear we were loading up ourselves to meet her up at the school.  We could go into the gym where the kids would all be assembled with their classes, give our last hugs and take a few more dozen pictures and then finally say goodbye for good (well until 11:30 anyway!).  There was just one problem...Elizabeth wasn't there.  Was the bus late? Did they take her directly to the classroom? Was their an accident? My (yes my) 4th grade teacher and the principal were working hard to track her down.  Parent's aren't allowed in the classroom on the  first day so they were trying to bring her to me.  In their defense, neither of them knew what she looked like.  Good thing they give us those name tags to put on them!  But no they didn't find her.  So I took pictures of Elizabeth's class walking  to their room only to suddenly hear a friend yell "Alison! She's over here!" And there she was marching down the hallway at the front of her class.  So I did what any sane first time kindergarten mommy would do...(no I didn't run after her, B would have restrained me for sure!) I tossed my arms in the air and yelled "Goodbye Elizabeth!!!"  (yes picture a low budget 80's film and I'm sure that's how I looked).  She didn't turn her head I knew she couldn't hear me.  Brandon gave me a nod and I knew we had to leave...she was gone.  My dear 4th grade teacher tracked us down outside and said she had tried to find her but couldn't.  She promised to go to the classroom and give her a hug from me.  Thank goodness for a small community where my previous teacher could tell my daughter goodbye for me!  Oh my and it wasn't even 8:35 yet!

When she got off the bus she ran into my arms!! She had a wonderful day.  My friend told me that the principal had personally escorted her off the bus and into the line with her class.  She talked about two boys and asked when she could get a phone ("I'm just joking mom!").  Her hair tie broke but that perfect braid stayed in pretty well!  Tomorrow she will tackle all day and (drum roll please...) hot lunch! I think she is going to love school!