D's Journal Entry about our Trip

So D. has been journaling at home and at school and he wrote this entry about our trip last weekend back East. The translation is as follows: I love my sister and my mom and my dad. We went to Washington DC on November 1, 2008 and they did a Halloween Party. And we went to my Aunts and my Uncles. We had a great time. November 4, 2008.

Cousins

We spent this past weekend with the East Coast cousins. The kids had a blast and we enjoyed out last trip to DC before Baby. More pictures to come, but here are a few of all the cousins from our JC Penny photo shoot. Aren't they something?

Well Baby Doctor Visits and School Conferences and Voting Mania

So, this week M had her 4 year old well baby appointment and her first preschool parent teacher conference. She came through both with shining colors. She was given two shots at the doctor's appointment, including the flu shot, and she did not cry or even flinch. What a trouper! The doctor gave her a choice to either get the shot or the flu mist and after hearing the process for the mist (something along the lines of shoving a tube up her nose and inhaling stuff that might make her cough) she elected for the shot. Who knew? We explained that we are all getting the flu shot this year to protect us and more importantly our new baby from getting sick and she was right on board.

We also met with M's teacher for her first parent teacher conference and that was fun for us. She is doing great and of course meeting or exceeding all expectations. Per the teacher she loves to paint, has very good concentration skills and is very friendly. Of course we knew all that, but its always nice to hear what an unrelated third party has to say about your children!

We had D's kindergarten parent teacher conference this morning and of course she had nothing but great things to say about him. He is doing wonderfully and the teacher just raves about his art work. I suppose there are some things that we as parents take for granted that if our kid can do it, all 5 year olds can do...apparently this is not the case : ) . They are learning "pre-algebra" skills in their math lessons, a statement that J and I found baffling in the context of a kindergarten parent teacher conference, but I suppose they just start everything younger now. Before we know it they will be teaching calculus in third grade and high school will be all about padding your resume for your mid-life career change...seems a little crazy. What about the good old days when all you had to do was master a few multiplication tables in order to ace 5th grade math?

The election is right around the corner and frankly I can't wait for the big day. J is somewhat (understatement?) obsessed with the election and all the hooey that is going on with the candidates and the campaigns and I would just like it to all be over. Signs are going up all over our neighborhood with people declaring their support for this or that candidate, so its kind of fun to see that so many people are really invested in this election. I read that they are expecting record voter turnout this year and I really hope that is the case. J is an election monitor in charge of one of the election sites this year so while he will be watching to see what happens right up until he has to report for duty, on the day of he will be isolated with all the voters and not a clue as to what is going on in the polls or with the pundits. Maybe that's a good thing...anyway, no matter who you vote for, get out and vote!

"camping" out...out back, that is

The last weekend in September we pitched the tent in the yard for one last campout of the season. The kids helped put the tent up and I am almost convinced that D will be able to do it by himself next summer. We also made an investment in a fire pit which D and I put together. We cooked hotdogs and had our neighbors over for s'mores and just generally had fun. Who says you have to leave home to have a good time?

In addition to sleeping bags and pillows, M brought down stuffed animals and two backpacks. Before I really laid into her for bringing so much stuff I had the forethought to ask what was in the bookbags. Well, she had brought her blankie down in one and had gone into my room and brough my blanket down in the other. What a little sweetie! So of course she got hugs and kisses instead of being in trouble for bringing too much stuff into the tent...the picture of her with all her loot is attached.

M made it until about 9:00 when she decided she wanted to go inside to sleep. She said that the tent was not as cozy as her bed...very observant, that one. We moved her inside and to his relief J then had a perfectly good reason to sleep in HIS cozy bed instead of outside on the hard ground with us.

D and I lasted until about 3:30 when the sprinklers around the side of the house came on. In a panic, I crawled over D to get out of the tent and save our camping trip...visions of both being soaked to the skin from a direct hit, and ruining the tent if a sprinkler head was actually under the tent had me really worked up. D sat up and asked what I was doing and I told him. As I left the tent he asked "What do I do if they come on while you are gone?" A question to which I had no good answer, so I did what all good moms do and said "they won't go off."

I sprinted to the garage to turn off our sprinkler system (with a pit stop in our room where J was peacefully sleeping to confirm that I could turn them off mid-cycle...he was pleased to see his lovely wife regardless of the hour, of course). I turned the system off and the potential crisis was averted. Back in the tent D had huddled all the way under the covers and declared that he was hiding in case they came on before I got back. I told him they were turned off and we went back to sleep until 7:00 or so in the morning. Altogether a fun time. I wish I had more pictures but the camera ran out of film and that's that. I need to convert to digital photography here soon and join the 21st century...

Soccer Time

So M was really excited to play soccer this season and boy did she do great! We have one more game this weekend and then we may try indoor over the winter. I coached her team and D was an honorary assistant coach. Sometimes he would decide to play instead of just "coaching", and he wants to play indoor this winter too...so maybe he is not a lost cause after all!

M had a great game last weekend and scored her first goal. She was sooooo proud and so was her Mama! Granny was there to see the game and witness the big event and that was very fun for M too. She can't wait to go back this weekend and do it again! Here are some pictures of our budding soccer star. Its hard for me to get pictures during the games because I am coaching but I am going to try and get some more this weekend. Enjoy!

Reunion Pictures

Found these pictures on a recently developed role of film and thought I'd post them. Seems as if everyone had fun at the reunion...

D's Picture Puzzle

D created this picture puzzle this week. His class is doing Nursery Rhymes in school and he sat down and did drew this picture after school one day this week. Impressive, no? Take a shot at this and see if you can figure out all the Nursery Rhymes. To my knowledge he has not ever seen a Nursery Rhyme picturally designated like this, which just makes these even more impressive! Enjoy!