1st Day of School

School starting is such an interesting thing. We have all been waiting for it with various degrees of enthusiasm. My enthusiasm is pretty much at zero. This year I will have two kids in school and be picking up a kindergartner half way through the day. I also will be taking kids to soccer and to dance class. The way I see it I will be in my car most of the day. I am glad my seat is comfortable.

None the less the day has come and the kids can't wait. Here is Ashling. She never looks at the camera!
This is the face of true excitement. She really can't wait for school to start.
Annika is excited but she just doesn't know why!
Ali is a little more reserved and grown up now that she is in the 3rd grade. She got a color changing shirt from Grandma and was excited to wear it. It was much too hot for jeans so she just wore shorts.

I was very excited that Ali got Mrs. Strebel. She is in our branch and I have been hoping that Ali would get her for a teacher ever since she was born. All the LDS kids are in Mrs. Strebel's class this year. It will be nice to have so many good kids in class. Besides the LDS kids there are a lot of other kids who are good friends of Ali's and kids that I like. I am excited for Ali to have such a good class.

Kindergarten did not really start today. The kids all came and got their name tags and took a tour of the classrooms. They do not know who their teachers are for a week. I guess the teachers need to observe the kids first and then they will decide. It was a mess and I highly recommend a different way of doing things.

The First Day of School

It was a crisp, really almost a cold, fall morning as we woke up. The kind of morning where it is hard to get out of bed because it is so cold but where later the sun will burn with its warmth. When Ali woke up she asked what time it was and when she was told 6:45 she said, "Oh I am supposed to get up but I am just going to lay here and let my open up a little bit." It didn't take long and she was out of bed and into the clothes she had chosen to wear. Soon we were ready to school.

She seemed seasoned. She knew what we were doing and she was not scared. She did hold my hand and appreciated me walking her inside but she was calm and confident. We walked into her classroom and it felt safe and comfortable. A new home for the new year. There were rows of desks instead of tables and her desk was not labeled with her name on it. We examined the classroom library filled with chapter books, not picture books. There was a small futon which Ali claimed as the most comfortable seat in the room. "This is my seat, for when I am finished with my work." We met her teacher and I felt comfortable and excited to learn what this woman would teach.

The new books on her desk, the new crayons and pencils in her back pack and the books of the reading library beckoned me and I was more than a little jealous of the new beginning as I left her. Isn't the first day of school the best?

She's Growing up

Last night I went on a bike ride. And not just any bike ride but a ride with a child. My child. And I realized that it was fun for me. Not just fun because seeing your kids do anything is fun but because I had a great time with her fun. I pedled myself up the steep hills and rode fast down them. I raced my daughter down the hills and pushed past her as we climbed up. I didn't have to stop and wait and slow myself down to her level. Instead she was already at my level or at least close enough to be fun. We stopped and rested and listened to ourselves breathe. She told me all about butterflies, lizards and fun places to ride bikes.

Today we went shopping and it was fun too. She looked at things and discussed them with me. We talked about what we wanted and how we would spend the 200, 000 dollars some casino was promising we would win if we played. She would buy me a Kayak and I would buy her a doll house. We even got smoothies and although they were small we both couldn't finish them. She evaluated things, looked for deals, counted her money and made her her own purchases and I made mine.

I never thought that would happen so soon. My baby girl has turned into a interesting, engaging person that I like to hang out with as a friend too. How could this happen and how can she be growing up so quickly? I don't know but today I think I really like it.

"firsts"

I spent the day with my children. They helped me clean this morning, we went on a walk to the park and then we played school all afternoon taking a break for recess and snack. It was a nice day and everyone experienced some firsts that I enjoyed watching.

Ali is learning multiplication. I thought that they teach it in second grade and so we better get ahead and start learning. It is amazing that she is learning the concept so quickly and it sure is fun teaching her. It makes me wonder if I would like home schooling?

Ashling is learning to read. Today she had some simple works and was able to figure out how to spell each of them and she wrote each of the words down. I can't believe she has another year until kindergarten! She is going to be reading by then!

Annika and I were eating breakfast together this morning and I was playing a game with her. Each time I fed her a bite I said, "mmmmm" and she thought it was so funny. We enjoyed our breakfast and the time spent together. Tonight at dinner Cameron was feeding Annika her food while we were all eating. After a bite Annika said, "mmmm." I noticed that it was what I had said this morning. Then each time she was ready for a bite she said, "mmmm" instead of screaming which has been her normal approach. She thought that this was a great way to communicate and was very pleased with herself. I am very happy that she will not be screaming at the dinner table whenever she wants a bite! (Hopefully she will turn the "mmmm" into "mama" before long too. I would love to beat Daddy for the first word!

I am glad I am at home with my girls to experience all their firsts. I couldn't think of a better job and I am happy to play with them each and every day.

practicing...

The air inside is hot and the air outside is cool. Cameron commented that he was sleeping outside tonight and the girls thought it was a great idea. Really though we are sleeping on our bed because with a fan the air is cool inside too.

My girls are camping on the deck tonight. Aren't they cute? We are contemplating taking everyone on a three day, two night, 3 mile backpacking trip and so we are practicing sleeping in a tent alone and tomorrow we are going to start hiking. Hopefully it goes well. We bought a new back pack carrier for Annika that has a much better design. Instead of the baby reclining the baby is pressed against your back and you don't feel like you are going to fall over backwards. I am so excited to wear the backpack and go hiking with the girls. Our adventures start tomorrow.

Shhhh... be quiet... Anni is sleeping.

I have been trying to teach the girls the art of being quiet with a sleeping baby. It hasn't been easy. Either I hear, "Mommy guess what I saw...." or "Ali" followed by crying, or someone is telling on someone else. All of these screams do not make it easy for Annika to stay sleeping. I don't know how I managed to get a light sleeper for my third child but she is a light sleeper.

Each and every morning I wake up and feed Annika and she plays in her big crib while I shower. She is content and happy until about the time the older girls wake up. Then she is ready to go back to sleep. The problem is that I don't have time to rock her to sleep while getting the girls ready and so I wrap her up already buckled into her car seat. And then she screams.... and screams.... and screams... for what seems like forever but is really only 5-10 minutes. I still don't have time to take care of her as I am doing hair, making breakfast and making lunches. So Ali loves to play the mommy and puts the pacifier back in her mouth and whispers soothing words to her. She is my very persistant child and eventually she succeeds in putting Anni to sleep.

This morning was especially difficult. Anni cried, fell asleep, and then dropped the pacifier and woke up screaming... Ali kept fixing everything and getting her back to sleep. Finally Anni seemed to be sleeping well and Ali tip-toed away from her car seat. "Shhhh... be quiet everyone" she whispered. She kept reminding us. . . .