life in general

this week according to my iphone

Today is my friend Paige's birthday!  Happy Birthday! I sent her an ice cream sundae kit and I hope that she gets to enjoy it this weekend.  B.Y.O.I.C.

Metal tray & ice cream scoop: West Elm

I've been at home most of the week, working on things here and there.  It's pretty quiet, but busy.  Sometimes I find myself taking pictures of myself in front of the mirrors - just so I can see another person, I think?  So weird.  And now that I've just typed that out for blogland to read it sounds even weirder. Obviously, I need to get out more.

Anna is constantly coming to me asking, "Do you have a project I can do?"  The girl loves to craft and draw.  Usually I'm plum out of [quick & easy] ideas.  But . . . . I came across THIS idea on a blog not too long ago and filed it away in my head for a moment just like this.  It's called Roller Coaster Names

I love how she took it literally, and added a roller coaster to the top.  Weeeee!  Or in my case, Ahhhhh!! Get me off this thing!!!

Walking to school, over the "short cut".  It's starting to get hot in the afternoons.  80 to 85-ish.  And the kids are getting hot which equals grumpy.  But I'm trying to push them to keep at it for a few more weeks before we start making the afternoon pick-up in the car.  Because THAT (traffic) makes me crazy.

Trying to decide if I can pull off a top knot.  I think it works.  Which is good, because this will probably become a daily hairstyle during the summer.  A bunch of hair on a sweaty neck = hee-bee-jee-bees.

Took this cutie in for a well-child check this week.  Age 10 -- 61 lbs and 52.25 inches -- both fall in the 10-25th percentile range.  And his sister (age 7) is only like, a half inch shorter than him right now.  Our new pediatrician made Payton a deal.  He said, "You come back here when you are 18 years old and if your sister is taller than you, I'll pay you $100."  Payton liked that deal very much.

AND the big success of the week was finishing up and turning in Payton's science project!  Doesn't he look so proud?  He came up with the idea for the project, executed it, and was excited to create the little touches of art for his presentation board.  It makes it soooo much easier to get through these school projects when the kids are excited about it.  Yay for solar ovens!

the weekend lens

FRIDAY NIGHT // Went to the Arts Festival at the kids school.  They got to do a few art projects in the cafeteria.  Notice the tongue?

And more tongue.

Payton was really looking forward to this evening because he wanted to show me his dragon.  He says that he and his art teacher went through his art work from the school year so far and selected his very best piece for display.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON // I finally started work on my 2013 Project Life Album!  I am loving the Seafoam Edition -- it is perfect.  I managed to knock out the whole month of January in one afternoon.

SATURDAY NIGHT // Anna performed in her first show with her Glee group.  

They sang 3 group numbers: Not for The Life of Me (from Thoroughly Modern Millie), For Good (from Wicked), and It's Possible (from Seussical the Musical).  The girls range in age from 6 to 10.  And I love that this program works toward developing talents, but more importantly it's all about building confidence in a safe, supportive, and positive environment.

She had me cracking up after the show as she went on and on about her microphone -- how the tape they had to put on her cheek was SO painful to pull off so they replaced it with a band-aid -- and above, "look what they hid in my pants!"

Each girl got to perform a 2 minute solo.  Anna sang "My Favorite Things" and did a wonderful job!  She was just so sweet.

AFTER CHURCH // Had to snap a photo of this handsome boy.  He went to church without the suit jacket, just the vest and he looked very dapper.

And that arm wrapped around me . . . . love!

SUNDAY NIGHT // Inaugural crepe night at the Browns.

I got this crepe griddle for my birthday and since then we've been using it to cook tortillas.  At last, we tried our hand at crepes and they were amazing!  This griddle cooks them so perfectly, so easily, and fast.  I can see a lot more crepe nights in our future!

double digits

This boy entered the double digits last week.  He is 10.  Cuh-razy.

And yes, that is the Christmas tree peeking out in the background.  We don't usually leave it up this long, but I'm rolling with it.  I decorated it with party hats.

His birthday fell on Saturday which helped to make it truly the best birthday a kid could ask for . . . donuts for breakfast, presents, Wendy's for lunch, video games all afternoon, hamburgers & hot dogs for dinner.  Not to mention having Papa Dan and Grammer Teresa in town for a quick visit.  AND getting to finish off the lid of the Serendipity treasure chest. (We wrapped it in tin foil and have saved it in our fridge all this time!)

10 scoops of ice cream in honor of his 10th birthday . . . . 

Another highlight was having a larger cheering section at his basketball game.  Anna whipped this up during the game

So . . . I thought I would take a minute to share 10 things about Payton right now

1.  He looooves bacon.  If you ask him to choose a place to eat he'll probably say Wendy's so he can order the Son of Baconator.  So that's where we went for lunch on his birthday.  When we go to McDonald's he adds bacon to his Happy Meal hamburger.  And if it's available, he'll throw a strip of bacon on his hot dog.

 (the poor boys' eyes were all watery & puffy that day -- getting over a cold)

2.  When I reach down for a hug, oftentimes he'll jump up and give me one of his awesome monkey hugs.  It's a good thing he only weighs 60 pounds so we can still do this!

3.  Recently he memorized all the counties and county seats in Nevada (part of a 4th grade challenge).  He used a little tune to help him with the memorization - smart idea.  But my favorite was when he got near the end of the list and couldn't resist a little hip-shaking dance to go along with Washoe / Reno.

(Note - the test for memorization was not an oral one, hence his pronunciation of the counties comes from whatever his 10 year old mind could decipher.  This one's all about the written recognition.  I myself only discovered last year that Ely is pronounced "EE-lee")

4.  He is reading the 39 Clues book series and loves it.

5.  Payton is a pretty content kid.  He asks so little of us and he is easily pleased.  Really, he has the best excited/thank-you faces on the planet.  Because of this I often find myself picking up little treats or surprises at the store (chocolate milk, bacon, footed pajamas, etc.) just because I know it will make him happy.

6.  He loves anything Ninjago and Pokemon

7.  Every Sunday morning he likes to watch Dogs 101 on Animal Planet.  And when Super Bowl Sunday came around he began reminding me days in advance that he wanted to watch the Puppy Bowl.  He said it was great, as well as the kitty half-time show.

8.  Many nights Payton will announce that he is going to bed on his own or he will simply disappear and we'll find him asleep in his bed.  He's good at knowing when he's tired and just takes care of business.

9.  He has a funny little habit right now where he is always playing with his lower lip and tongue -- folding, squishing, etc.  He recently discovered that he can do a taco tongue.  Maybe that has something to with it.

10.  We can always count on Payton for comic relief.  A lot of the time it is subtle, but when he gets into one of his routines, though, he can be ultra-animated, loud, and intense.

We sure do love this kid.  On his birthday we pulled out some old family movies and watched him crawl, babble, and laugh through his first year.  He is getting more and more helpful these days and I love it.  And still, he happily holds my hand on the walk to school each day.  Love him!  Happy Birthday, P!

hello monday {pinewood derby}

This weekend we attended the Cub Scout pinewood derby.  Let's see, so far we have made 5 pinewood derby cars . . . just 1 more to go.  And I guess I should clarify -- Scott and the boys have made 5 pinewood derby cars.  I have no involvement in this process.  Except for the spray paint.

We tried to set Payton's expectations going into it.  Seeing that we are in a new pack, we didn't know what the competition was going to be like.  Not that we are competitive in this kind of event . . . . It's just that after Payton took 1st place at his first pinewood derby he may have expectations that the streak should continue.

His car did well.  He won most of the races in his heats.  And when all the races were tallied he came in at 5th place.  There was some disappointment on his part, because - hello?! - he had seen his car win so many races.  He didn't quite get it, so we had to explain the whole process.  I think that by the time he got his certificate and blue ribbon, everything was good again.

(I have to apologize for the varying tones of yellow in these photos -- it was a church gymnasium, afterall)

Hello pinewood derby car.  His certificate said "Best Scout Theme".

Hello anticipation.  He has a front row seat with the rest of the Pit Crew.

Hello excitement!

Hello rankings.  After everyone raced, they narrowed it down to the top 8 cars to race again.

Hello fancy schmancy race track.  This thing had an electronic start gate and finish line.  It is wired to a computer and all the racing times go straight there where a program keeps track of all the rankings.  Pretty hard core.

Hello cheers.  The race track operator told the kids that their cars will go faster the more they yell.

Hello awards.  Payton completed all the requirements to earn his Bear along with 1 gold arrow point and 2 silver arrow points.

Hello tradition.  In this Cub Scout Pack, they have a face-painting tradition.  When you earn your Wolf you get one set of stripes.  For the Bear, 2 sets of stripes.  Guess we'll have to wait and see what Webelos brings.

Hello mother's pin.  This is one of my favorite parts of being a Cub Scout mom.  I didn't know there would be a pack meeting following the derby so I was glad that I wore layered tops!  If you've ever been pinned by a Cub Scout you'll know how important that is.

Hello cute Cub Scout.

I'm linking up with Lisa Leonard's {hello monday} prompt

super kids & super moms

Last week the PTA put on a Mother / Son night.  It was just a great casual evening.  We decorated capes, masks, colored shields, took cool photos, and ate popcorn, cookies, & soda.  Perfect.  Isn't this photo-op the coolest?  I'm pretty sure I've seen it on Pinterest before.  Below you can see the set-up from my perspective on the ground. (The photographer stood up on a ladder.)

We spent the evening trying to come up with his super hero name

• The Paytonator
• The Lightning Pirate
• Flash Flood

He wasn't sold on any of my suggestions, so we're still brainstorming.  

He's a pretty super kid.

happy halloween / nevada day

Payton has learned the Nevada state song and it's pretty catchy.  

Here he is to share it with you on this sunny Halloween / Nevada day.

 By the way, THIS is my 1000th blog post!  Woo-hoo!  I started this thing 7 years ago and I'm still going strong.  I love it.  

Two women from the Relief Society presidency in our new ward came over to visit me today.  They asked what my hobbies were . . . . scrapbooking (just pulled my project life album out of a box today - yay), photography, and blogging.  And of course dabbling in crafty projects, parties, sewing, and home decor from time to time.  I feel kinda funny telling people that blogging is my hobby, but it's the truth!

Blogging is good.  I'm gonna keep with it.

things my kids say

Another gem from that memorabilia organizing project I mentioned in my last post . . . 

This little notepad.  I used it from time to time to record fun little quotes from the kids.

I showed this to Payton tonight and his response was, "I said that?!"  He has never liked mayonnaise.

Here are a few more from that notepad . . . . . 

"Thank thee for Heavenly Father & Jesus that they can have a good time in heaven."  - Payton's dinner prayer, age 5, July 2008

I greeted Conner at school pickup and he wasn't wearing his coat.  I commented, "Without your big green coat on I have a hard time spotting you."  His reply, "Just look for the smile."  May 2009, age 8

Scott was getting ready to leave for a business trip.  Conner says, "I'm three quarters sad, and one quarter happy."  He was happy because Scott's absence meant that both he and Payton could sit by me at dinner every night.  May 2009

"Do you like me hoopy hooping?"  (translation: hula hooping)
        Anna, 3 1/2, May 2009 

"I like to look in the fridge every now and then, just to see what's in there."
        Payton, age 8 1/2, September 2011 

"I seriously faint at the first sight of blood!"
        Payton, October 2011, while watching a caveman show on the History Channel

silly stories

For as long as these boys have shared a room, they have had a nightly ritual of telling stories to each other.

They call them, "Silly Stories."

After we say prayers, give hugs and kisses, and say goodnight . . . . the real party begins.

This is when the creativity and silliness runs wild.  The ongoing story lines that they have created are pretty detailed.  And when I say ongoing . . . we're talking about characters that been a part of their nightly imaginations for years.  

There's Aser (Acrobatic Supergirl who Eats Ranch) and of course Beary (he eats peanuts), Octopussy, Chickeny (with helicopter flight) and a slew of supporting characters.  Someday that will be a blog post.

Their laughter trails down the hall, there were times we wondered if the 2nd floor ceiling would give way, and every night we have to yell at remind them to be quiet and go to bed.  Every night.

But, I love that they do this.  That they have so much fun together.  That they make each other laugh until they can't breathe.  That they entertain themselves with their imaginations.

As we were planning out the bedroom configuration for this new house we decided early on that the boys would each get their own rooms, which adjoin through a shared bath.  

In one conversation we considered changing this set-up and putting Anna in one of those bedrooms.  You should have seen the look of disappointment come over Payton's face.  His eyes opened wide and you would have thought his world was ending.  Not because he doesn't want to be close to Anna (although, they have their issues from time to time).  But because it would mean the end to silly stories.  And that, pretty much would have been the end of his world.

They love each other and it makes me so happy.

Conner often says things like, "I'm so glad I have Payton for a brother."

This week Payton told me about an assignment he's working on in school.  He has to write a story or poem about someone he loves . . . . and he chose Conner.  Funny to note - while working on this assignment in class he needed to look up 2 words in the dictionary for their proper spelling.  Those 2 words were "apparently" and "Loch Ness."  I can't wait to read the final draft.

the old fashioned way

Following day one of Scott's 2-day graduation ceremonies last month, Anna asked, "Tomorrow are they going to do it the old-fashioned way?  Like, when they throw their hats up into the air?"

What a cute girl.  And yes, they did do it the old-fashioned way -- just for a photo.

Since then . . . "the old-fashioned way" keeps popping up in the kids' conversations.  I have come to learn that there are a lot of things you can do the old-fashioned way.

For example,

diving at the pool

throwing away trash at Chipotle

graduating from college

going down the pipe in Super Mario

making a sandwich

practicing your 4's multiplication table

combing your hair

and, galloping.

Here's Anna to show you how. 

(Watch first before you read my comments below.)

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FYI, Payton did get in trouble.  He feels really bad for his lapse in judgement.  The next day when I showed the video to Scott I was laughing/crying so badly I couldn't control myself.  So . . . we did what any good parent would do.  We submitted this video to America's Funniest Home Videos. (It is our kids' dream to get onto that show.  And wipeout.)  

back to school

I think everyone was just a little excited for school today.  They were all up, showering, eating breakfast, and getting dressed at 5:30 AM!

The 6th grader . . . . I was a little nervous for him today.  Because, hello!, it's 6th grade and we all know what goes down in 6th grade and middle school.  Anyways, it sounds like he had a good day.  He made it to all his classes on time.  He found people to sit with at lunch (one boy he recognized from church and another boy he met at 6th grade summer institute 2 weeks ago).  He says that his math teacher is loud & sarcastic.  Lunch period was too short because he didn't even get to eat his Snack Pack.  He enjoyed choir where the teacher taught them proper posture for singing.  But Conner took it too far, locking his knees (doh!) and says that he started to go a little blind in one eye.  Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy.  So glad he didn't pass out on the first day.

The 4th grader . . . .Payton loves his class, loves school, loves his friends, and thinks that his teacher is so funny.  He is just so excited about school this year and it is fun to see.  On the playground this morning he was able to find his friend Kai from last year -- it was a happy reunion.  He's so excited that one of his rotating specials this year is the computer lab.  He said that they spent 75% of the day just talking about rules and stuff.  He got to help the teacher roll up a bunch of posters for the class.  And he sarcastically showed over-the-moon excitement when he told us that he passed off his 0's multiplication test today.  "Hello, all you do is just write 0, 0, 0, 0, 0."

The 1st grader . . . . Last night she was begging to go to school saying, "I wish school was starting today!  I can't wait!"  And on the playground this morning she took off, found old friends, talked to her teacher, and played on the play structure with no hesitation whatsoever.  

She had to bring 2 items to share with the class and tell about what she did this summer.  She chose -- a book, because we went to the library and read lots of books; and the t-shirt she made not too long ago.  Today her teacher praised her for being so good in class because according to Anna, "Ya, I always sit right at my desk and I'm so good."  She's excited to earn stickers on her good deeds chart.  She was a little worried that she might have sat too close to one of the peanut-allergy kids during lunch.  (She had a PB & honeysandwich.)  She learned how to do a "first grade wave" -- a smile and a wink.  This is used when the class is walking through the halls in a line and you see someone you know -- you don't wave your hand, you just smile and wink.

Is anyone else out there wearing Top Siders?  They are popping up in stores everywhere (Scott has a pair, and now Anna).  I tried to convince the boys that they needed top siders too but they were not impressed.

around here

Lockers, dressing out for P.E. . . . . oh yes, we are there

Today was "Get your schedule day" but we already had Conner's schedule because he attended the 6th grade summer institute last week.  Because of that little camp he knows his way around the school and is a pro when it comes to opening his locker.

But still, we walked through his schedule once so we could meet the teachers.  And then he politely asked if I would sit on a bench so he could go through his schedule on his own.  Go for it kid.  I was glad to see that initiative and planning on his part, wanting to be as prepared as possible.

The nerves over first grade are gone . . . 

She met her teacher today, loved her, and seems to be much more comfortable with the idea of going into 1st grade.  Most of her worries centered around the morning line-up (they line-up on the playground, rather than going straight to class) -- she doesn't think she'll be able to remember the number she needs to stand next to.  I told her that we could write the number on her hand and she is counting on it.

This one is an old pro, but still wary of the wolf

Seriously, that thing is so realistic.

Going into 4th grade, Payton is facing the least amount of transition among the kids this year.  He was so excited to find out a that friend from last year is in his class -- they staked their claim on two desks right next to each other.  I think he enjoyed showing Anna around the school and giving her tips.  He got his new agenda book and loves the fact that it is blue this year.  We got home and he said, "I am so excited for school!"

Purple Penguin is a winner

We have heard the great reviews, it was even on our summer fun list . . . . but for some reason it took us this long to finally make a stop.

And oh boy, it was delicious.

Flavor choices . . . . Payton - blue bubblegum, Anna - pink cotton candy, Conner - rootbeer, Me - coconut and vanilla with ice cream.  The shack is only open for one more month and you can bet that we will be back for another visit.

This is the method Payton used to cool down his ramen at lunch today.

What a nut.

wrapping up the school year

The kids have just 3.5 more days of school!  So before we leave this school year behind I wanted to quickly share a few of the things they have been up to in the last month.

Make way for Chief Payton.  He did a state report on New Mexico -- why he didn't choose Oregon, I'll never know.  On presentation day he came dressed as the Apache Indian Geronimo and I whipped up some sopapillas (my first ever attempt) for him to share with the class.  Apparently they were a huge hit.

As you can see, Field Day was pretty much awesome.

The PTA put on a Father/Daughter Dance at school and everything surrounding this event pretty much melts my heart.  It deserves it's own post.  I'll add that to my list.  Anna looked and felt like such a princess.

I was so proud of Payton for earning a gold medal in the Great American Challenge.  He had to memorize the Star Spangled Banner, write the Pledge of Allegiance, and memorize all 50 states capitals.  While this other kids had been working on this for 8 months, he completed this in just 2.  Plus, he earns a gold medal for having the cutest smile on stage.  It's true.  A random mom even leaned over to me and said "what a cutie" after he accepted his medal.

While the rest of the 5th graders went on a whirlwind, chartered bus, 24 hour field trip to Disneyland and back . . . . Conner went to school, with the 15 remaining kids.  It sounds like he had a great day.  I mean, just look at that face.   A definite highlight was when I met him for lunch, with McDonald's in hand.

For inquiring minds:  we didn't send him to Disneyland because 1 )I don't think it was an option because we moved in long after the fund-raising & payments were made and 2) even then, we wouldn't have sent him on a 24 hour (essentially overnight) field trip.  Age 10/11 is too young for that, in my opinion.

After a big Heritage unit in Conner's writing class (he did lots of research on Denmark - my ancestry), the 5th grade classes put on a program for the Heritage Feast.  Crepes, hummus, japanese rolls, Norwegian pancakes, swedish cookies, croissants, enchiladas, apple strudel, pasta, Filipino duck eggs . . . plenty of food to go around.

Signs that summer vacation is right around the corner:

• The homework load around here has taken a nose-dive.  
• The kids have started to bring home memory books and journals.  
• I loaded "School's Out for Summer" onto my ipod to prepare for the big day.  
• Realized today that I need to pull together teacher gifts soon.  
• The Summer Fun List is up and ready (I'll share next week).  

memorial day hike

Back to Red Rock Canyon for another hike!

(photos from my iphone)

And we were entertained all day by Payton's quotes.

Referring to the above location Payton said:  "It looks like an artist took a vacation here and painted all the rocks."

Scott spent some time teaching Conner how to use his compass.  Checking off Boy Scout requirements.

Payton's best quote came while we ate lunch at Red Robin.  We were talking about the military (seeing as it was Memorial Day) and specifically about the kids' Uncle Kevin, who serves in the army and returned from a deployment/mission a few weeks ago. 

Scott said that he was serving "in a very dangerous place."

Payton, so innocently, chimes in, "What, like Chicago?"

And I lost it.  I was in the middle of chewing a bite of my Banzai burger and nearly choked.  And pretty soon there were tears.

Then as we were leaving he said, "I LOVE the restaurants where you can just leave your big ol' mess on the table."

Love that kid.

little red schoolhouse

Since 2007 our kids have attended a charter school in the most adorable little red schoolhouse.  It is situated out in the country among rolling hills, past large pastures with roaming cows, next to a holly tree farm, with a lovely drive that provides morning views that can take your breath away. 

We have loved it.  And our kids have been dearly loved there.  We've been fortunate to have some great teachers who "get" our kids.  

Lots of great memories, relationships, and learning has come out of this place.

On Conner's last day his teacher set aside some time for a good-bye party.  He brought cookies, I think they played a little game, and Conner had an opportunity to show off his best bendy joints trick in front of the class.  He went with the leg behind his head trick.  ;)

Payton's teacher held a party on Payton's last Friday.  She popped popcorn and they got to watch a movie.  It was a surprise -- he didn't know this was going to happen until it started.

Anna's last day almost didn't happen.  We woke up on that tuesday morning and got the phone call informing us of 2-hour late start due to snow.  When there is a 2-hour late start AM kindergarten is cancelled.  I was just heart-broken for her!  A few minutes later she came into our bedroom all dressed for school asking, "can you zip me up?"  Oh my, that brought up the emotions.  I looked at Scott and mouthed, "I just can't - you tell her."  Not too much longer I got an e-mail from her teacher wanting to re-schedule or make accomodations for Anna to stop in the next day (even just for 5 minutes) so they could say good-bye to her.  Luckily, we would be in town the next day.  And luckily our awesome friends the Habels let me borrow a vehicle for the day so I could get her to school.  (The plan was for Scott and the boys to start driving on Wednesday - so I would be van-less, Anna and I would stay behind to clean the house, and then fly out on thursday.) 

So Anna's last day party did happen.  It was also a surprise for her.  I was so thankful to her teachers for setting aside a chunk of classtime for her.  And additionally grateful for the class mom who showed up with cookies and drinks for all the kids!  Seriously, the state of my mind and the house in that last week was so far away from me being able to think about and put together treats for my kids' classes on the last day.  So many awesome teachers and parents stepped up to the plate and made these important memories happen for my children and I am so so so grateful.

And if a going away party wasn't enough one awesome mom, Ellen B., put together a wonderful keepsake for each of my kids.  She is the 5th grade class mom and waaay back last September when we announced we were moving, she got going on a project for Conner.

He received a binder with notes from each of his classmates.  "Conner, my favorite things about you are . . ."

What a treasure!  The common themes are playing four-square, writing a book, and being smart.

Ellen also went on to share the idea and materials with Payton's 3rd grade class, and Anna's Kindergarten class.  She didn't want any of my kids to be left out.  Talk about so sweet and thoughtful and going over & beyond.  

It was so fun to watch the kids huddle around Payton as he flipped through the book.  They all wanted to point out the pages that they made.

Common themes in Payton's book:  funny/silly, likes the color blue, plays on the swings a lot, smart, he is crazy.

A few priceless excerpts:

• You take a good sniff of your mom every morning.
• I will make sure I remember you so much Payton.  And I will talk with Brooke about you so much.
• You have a lot of energy.
• You always make me laugh when you laugh.
• Here is a poem just for you:  Payton I know you are moving it's just so sad. I will miss you forever and it's just so sad.
• You are so kind to the new kids.

After school we looked at the book and Payton shared that he had learned that over a period of time, the kids in his class took turns missing recess so they could stay inside and complete their pages for Payton.  Keeping it a secret from him the whole time. Oh my heart!  Imagining these sweet 3rd graders giving up a recess -- the thing they all hold precious and dear in their school day  . . . . if that isn't a tear-jerker

Anna's teachers wrapped her book in a pink bag with pink tissue paper and presented it to her while she sat in front of the class.  You can just imagine how her face lit up when she heard the word "present" and saw the color pink.  :)

A week or two earlier the teachers had spent some time taking some photos of the class at recess and posing with Anna at her desk and included those in her book.  I think she absolutely loved it.

And I won't mention the fact that I shed a few big tears as I looked through it.  In the classroom.  The day before we watched all our belongings get packed up into a moving truck, we spent the night on the floor in an empty house, and that morning I said good-bye to Scott and the boys as they headed out on the road.  I think I'm justified in being a bit emotional!

I think my favorite entry came from her friend Jaren -- Anna, my favorite things about you are . . . "Your hair and your shoes.  I love your smell and the way you're nice.  I like that you are funny and happy."  Hehe.  They have a super cute relationship.  I drove Jaren home on this day and I had so much fun listening to their little conversation.

• Anna:  "What would I do without a friend named Jaren."
• Jaren:  "I think I'm going to cry when you leave."

Sweet, right?

Well, I don't want this post go on forever.  But I just wanted to record this incredibly thoughtful and much appreciated keepsake that each of the kids received.  Thanks to Ellen, the kids' teachers, and all the parents who helped their children write and submit these pages.  They will be treasured!

new school // first day follow-up

Anna:  Other than the fire drill that scared her to bits, I think she had a pretty successful day.  She was too shy to tell the class her name.  But now that she knows everyone she can talk to them today.  She loved music -- they sang counting songs and she got partnered up with Benjamin for an actions song (shake hands, high-five, and hug).  There is a Conner and a Payton in her class.  But most importantly the Payton is also a boy!  (a rare find these days).  This morning she found a friend as she walked into the kindergarten play yard and I heard the girl say, "Hi Anna."  Being 6 is awesome -- all you have to do is say hi and you're instant friends.

Payton:  He broke into tears in the morning when the teacher instructed that all their work had to be done in cursive.  He's been practicing cursive on worksheets, but he hasn't had to write exclusively that way.  She told him it would be okay to write however he liked (she felt bad).  But she says that not too much later he was writing everything in cursive.  That's Payton.  He gets pretty jarred initially when there is a change to the routine or something he "thinks" he doesn't know how to do -- but then he's able to adapt and figure it out pretty quickly.  He was also a little grumpy about lunch time and the fact that all the kids were squishing him on the bench.  I'm not sure that he met anyone today -- it sounds like he played by himself on the play structure.  He was excited to start earning his ice cream sundae by passing off multiplication facts.  The teacher has some fun incentive programs that I think he is excited about.  His morning line-up routine is pretty simple, so he has that part figured out.

Conner:  Well, when I picked him up and asked how his day was . . . he gave me a thumbs down.  But as we talked about each subject/class I was able to pull a positive out of each one.  The boys in his class were really nice and they kept asking him to sit at their table.  His class rotates to 6 different classrooms and he was always the one at the end of line because it took him so much time to write the homework in his assignment book.  And one time his class left him behind.  But he was able to catch up.  He liked writing and science class the best.  We had a torturous afternoon trying to sort and get through all his new homework.  (Finally finished at 9pm).  Hopefully today will be better.  One of the most challenging things for him is knowing where he is supposed to go first thing in the morning (it changes everyday).  I tried to track down his homeroom teacher this morning to get my hands on a schedule this morning, but no luck.  I told the office and they are going to help us get that information.  This morning we found a very nice and helpful girl from his class and she was able to help him get where he needs to be.  I think once we get that figured out we can at least start the day on a good foot.

So, everyone had their own little hiccups on the first day.  Which is understandable.  We can just hope and try for fewer hiccups each day going forward.

Okay, 2 text heavy posts in 2 days is a little much!  So here's an image from pinterest.

Source: piccsy.com via Shannon on Pinterest

 

Right?