There Have Been Zero Illnesses For: Three Weeks

Hi, hey there, I'm back.  You see after that last post I came down with a horrible cold and other health issues, which lead into November's bout of bronchitis that lasted for two weeks and then it was the holidays and then I got sick AGAIN at Christmas. Good times. Actually, it was really fun but the sickness was not. It's been one of those years where I am so over feeling crappy that I was totally happy to embrace ALL THE HEALTH STUFF after the New Year and luckily haven't gotten sick yet. Yay, one whole month free of germs.


So, what have we been up to since October? Let me see.
1)We went on that awesome September vacation and I made a video to go with all of our pictures.



2) The presidential race is heating up.  Are we all fired up and feeling patriotic about the candidates and the future of 'Merica?









3)  Both boys fall in and out of love with school on a daily basis. I never know if it's going to be "Yes, school, I LOVE IT" or "No, none today thanks" kind of day. The past week has been so cold that I have to muster up all of my adultness to actually get them out the door. We really can't complain though as it's been freakishly warm up until now.

4) Speaking of warm, Christmas was downright bizarre. Christmas Eve we turned the kids loose in the yard because it was 70 actual degrees Fahrenheit.  I don't think it got that warm last year until late April. We played a sweaty game of soccer outside until 6:30 or so. A tradition we will probably never get to repeat.

5) Christmas was a whole lot of this:

and so much of this:

A good time was had by for sure.


And that about brings us up to date. Stay tuned for more of our ridiculous, noisy but hopefully virus  free tales.

Back to School: and Then There Was One

I intended to write a "back to school" post last month, right after they started school but I realized I'd better wait and see how things go before I give any sort of summary.Genius right? I also intended to write about six zillion other posts but LIFE.

Anyway, Aiden started school before Labor Day which is totally unheard of in these parts and made me rather mad but I soon realized that various other holidays and conference days meant that he didn't actually have a full week of school until October, so it was sort of necessary to get a jump start.

He got lucky this year and is in class with almost every one of his super best buddies (boys and girls) and really likes his teachers. We really like his teacher because a) her curriculum is very straightforward so we actually know what Aiden needs to be working on (as opposed to last year when we loved his very sweet teachers and loathed the wacky way they approached schoolwork).  Also, b) she's already given the kids a talk about being responsible for their own work and supplies. As in, THEY need to make sure their homework is done and packed up and if they forget it's not Mom's fault. I still help to remind him but we've already noticed that he takes more responsibility for his homework and tests at school than before (the flip side being he's had a few moments of stress over his work and progress that we've never really had to deal with before).

And of course, RORY. Rory started preschool. He attends two days a week and because of the holidays it was reduced to about once a week for the past month which meant it took a little while for him to get comfortable. His first day was nerve wracking for me, because he is still my least predictable child, but he did just fine. There have been some tears and clinginess at drop-off but really it could've been 1,000 times worse so yeah, he's doing great.

We did get a report back that he seemed to constantly be doing his own thing. The class does a project, Rory plays alone. The class sits down to read and Rory colors at the table. The class has free play and Rory wants to sit on the teachers lap and read. The teacher mentioned it in sort of a "do you have any suggestions" way, and I felt a little vindicated because YES. THIS IS HIS THING. Also no, I do not have any suggestions, you're the professional, you let me know when you manage to get him to go with the crowd. I'm glad to see that someone else is just as confounded by him. (She did update me a few days later and say that they had treats for someone's birthday and the promise of a cupcake had him being most agreeable that day. Food is his love language I guess).

All in all Rory loves preschool. He arrives and is slightly overwhelmed by the NOISE and CHAOS and then finds his little niche and enjoys himself.  He is extremely proud of the artwork and projects he brings home, all of which are displayed front and center on the fridge, and asks when he can go back. I don't know if he'll happily fall in line with the other kids as he learns the routine or if he's always going to be a bit of a maverick but I'm just so happy at how well he's adapting and how happy he seems.

So the only sad footnote to all the back to school excitement is Audrey. I had been so wrapped up in making sure the boys transition to school went smoothly I didn't think how it might affect her. I (naively)  assumed she'd love having me all to herself with them out of the house. Not so however; she cries when we leave preschool without Rory, is cranky and aimless while he's gone, and perks up again after naptime when both Rory and Aiden are back. This girl loves her people (and every night before bed she requests a hug from everyone, not just people in our household but alllllll the grandmas and grandpas and aunts and uncles. If they are not there she wants to know where they are and when they are coming over). She might be having a harder time letting go of the boys than I am!    

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The Epic Summer Vacation Recap

Summer vacation has, sadly, ended and Aiden is back at school. Aiden had three camps this summer: baseball, art and science camp. He loved all three and was disappointed that they all ended by the beginning of August.

August is supposed to be when you head out of town for a vacation but this year we didn't have anything planned so we spent the month at the parks, pool and playdates. We did lots of hiking, took the kids to the aerospace museum and spent a few Saturdays at the farmers market. It was a good, if low-key, summer but I still wasn't prepared to find out that Aiden's school started a week earlier than usual (before Labor Day, which is unheard of in these parts).

He had his first day on Tuesday, and I was all prepared for lots of foot dragging and grumbling, but he seemed really happy to be back. It probably helps that he hasn't had any homework yet. His entire first month is a little strange in that he doesn't have more than three or four days of school per week, due to various holidays. We used these short weeks to finally book the vacation we'd missed out on this summer (thanks to Sean's ever changing work schedule, which has finally settled down *crossing fingers and toes*). I AM SO EXCITED. We are going to the actual ocean, staying in an adorable three bedroom apartment I found for a ludicrously amazing price that happens to be just yards from the ocean and directly on top of a cupcake shop. Aka HEAVEN. Ahem, anyway, that should be fun and I will certainly take 4,000 or so pictures.

Before we can leave for our vacation we just have to get through one teensy tinsy little gauntlet: Rory's first day of preschool. Now, Rory didn't exactly love it when we visited, but he has matured a huge amount over the summer. He's gotten to the point where he will, on occasion, listen to reason and perhaps check his behavior a bit when we're out in public. It's amazing. He still doesn't really like crowds or noise or new people or change. He also has a deep seated desire to be a clown that has started to surface. All of these things are swirling around making me realize what a crap shoot his first weeks of school will be. I'm fully prepared for a scream-y battle, but hoping for a gentler transition, and trying to also prepare for the flip side where he decides he loves school and wants to amuse everyone by breaking every rule with a smile. Just a little nervous.

Here are a zillion pictures from our past few weeks of leisure:

Summer So Far...

In the contest of me vs. summer, summer is winning.  We are starting in on our third (and a half?) week and I'm giving up any attempt at keeping the house clean and organized and I've lost hope on getting us anywhere farther than a half hour radius from home. 

I started out that first week assuring my friends that "Oh no, summer is wonderful! The kids have all been getting along so well! We're out to the park or library everyday!" while they complained that their kids were tearing each other and their houses apart. We had a one week grace period apparently because pretty soon after that the charm of having their big brother home/the excitement of being out of school wore off and now it's a long chorus of "he/she is touching me/my stuff/ just breathing in my general direction".  

We've been to alllll our favorite playgrounds and the library and had two camps and yeah...that's it. I'm fresh out of ideas.  We aren't taking a vacation due to Sean's highly unpredictable schedule for the next month or so and I'm trying to just take deep breaths and remember that this is what summer break is for: no particular plans other than reading books and playing and yes, learning to get along with your siblings. 

On the bright side we've been able to get out and about much more than last year (and all our kids sleep through the night hallelujah and high fives to everyone).  I can't say we aren't active because yeah, they never stop moving (or eating. I think our grocery bill has doubled now that Aiden is home all day). Aiden has one more camp and then I think I'm going to have to buck up and plan some local adventures for us. The kids don't care or notice that we're not having a vacation but I DO. I've got some good ideas but I just need to work up the courage to take them all by myself. In the meantime we'll be over here  playing soccer, rereading our favorite books for the 100th time, making chalk masterpieces on the driveway and eating sand. Wait, no, that last one is just Audrey.

Rory Turns 3

He has the sweetest baby face, giant hands but soft pudgy arms that are always ready to drape themselves around my neck. He has a will of steel, but a soft heart that is easily hurt. He has wide eyes that are always watching, the most mischievous sense of humor and is fiercely protective of his siblings. Sometimes he seems like he is a warrior ready to charge into battle, wearing his stubbornness like armor and other times he is the gentlest baby in need of endless amounts of affection and patience. He is like a summer day: sunny and warm but always a hint of thunder in the background. Sometimes he storms fiercely, but it always clears away again leaving sunshine in its wake. Today he is three.

                          

Last Day of First Grade

Aiden had his last day of school as a first grader. I can't believe the year is already over! He is looking forward to playing with Legos and being outside all summer.  He'll be attending a week of art camp and a week of all day science camp (it's all about insects so he VERY EXCITED).

This past year we didn't sign him up for soccer in an attempt to keep more freedom in his schedule. This failed hilariously as he ended up doing piano lessons, signing up for Spanish class with his friend and then the school would hold various after school activities and he always begged to do them.  At certain points he had activities every night except Fridays. This year we will, once again, attempt to scale back on All The Stuff. I feel like we've always pushed to get him involved and now that he genuinely wants to join these activities it's really hard to say no. But I will try.

Things we loved about first grade:   Aiden started the year with a substitute teacher he LOVED. She was beyond amazing and was someone who genuinely understood Aiden. She knew he loved drawing and would have him make the covers for the class books. She knew how to make him feel comfortable and confident and I wish he could have had her all year.

Before Christmas his regular teacher came back from maternity leave so he had a big change just as the school work started to get harder. His new teacher was so sweet but it was hard for him to get to know her and ask for help when he needed. Despite a bumpy beginning he really grew to like her and is happy his new classroom is close to hers.

Things we are excited about for next year: We've heard great things about his second grade teachers and he found out that he will be with his core group of best friends next year. It even seems like his class might be a little bit smaller which is always nice. This has been the first year since he was three that he has no worries at all about starting a new year of school.

Now that the year is finally over we plan on keeping up with reading and math. He's got stacks of books to read and a school packet of math facts to practice. However, we also have an awful lot of sleeping in, swimming and playing outside to work on. Happy summer everyone!

5 Things: All Music Edition

I missed doing a "3 Things"  post yesterday which is probably okay since I haven't read anything other than news articles (depressing) and the only movie we watched was The Kingsmen (hyper-violent but excellent suits). We have, however, been listening to a lot of music lately so here are 5 songs we've had on repeat lately (also, take a moment and appreciate how I finally figured out the ridiculously simple code tweak to keep the videos from hanging into the sidebar. Yay me):
 
Echosmith - Bright
It seems like this song is everywhere right now but I don't mind because it's so sweet and mellow and perfect for singing to small children who are feeling grumpy and in need of a snuggle.





Peaches- In The Valley Below
This is the ultimate driving around in the car song. It has a catchy vibe without being too hyper. This is perfect for tuning out stress and just relaxing. Basically, our Friday song. 


Omi- Cheerleader
Sean loathes this song with a burning passion. I love it for reasons I can't quite explain. I usually apologize, promise that he can pick the next song, and then turn it up and dance with Aiden.



Buttons - The Weeks
Sean and I both heard this song separately and when it came on in the car we both said "I LOVE THIS SONG". Jinx, he owes me a coke. It's a rock song but the chorus is simple and catchy. Also, the lead singer has beautiful flowing locks and should be in a Pantene commercial.   




Borns - Electric Love
I had to run out to an appointment and when I came home Sean was blasting that song. I was annoyed for about two seconds and then I was bopping my head because this song is catchy as heck. It helps that he sang it to me which is simultaneously awkward and adorable (and a little ear splitting since neither of us can carry a tune).