Addie - Pre-School - Police Woman
Theo - Kindergarten - Robot Maker
Jack - 2nd Grade - Baseball Player (and if there was any doubt, it is clear, he has fully integrated into America!)
Wednesday, 4 September 2013
First Day of Home-School: Pre-School, Kindergarten, 2nd Grade!
The boys started Wednesday morning enrichment a few weeks back, but we started home-school today. It is a totally different feel to have 2 schoolers (Theo isn't doing much, but he thinks of himself as a schooler and Addie is right there as well, trust me!). Here are first day pictures with 'what they want to be when they grow up' signs:
Addie - Pre-School - Police Woman
Jack - 2nd Grade - Baseball Player (and if there was any doubt, it is clear, he has fully integrated into America!)
Addie - Pre-School - Police Woman
Jack - 2nd Grade - Baseball Player (and if there was any doubt, it is clear, he has fully integrated into America!)
Wednesday Mornings...A New Adventure
The boys have started going weekly to Wednesday morning school, as our family affectionately calls it. Charles and I decided that the boys would benefit from an enrichment morning with other students their age. Therefore, as of a couple of weeks ago, Jack and Theo have started in Heritage Academy's Enrichment Program. It is just a little four hour a week program designed for home-schoolers. They cover four subjects literature, music, physical education, and science. An added benefit is that they get to be in the same class since kindergarten through second grade are together. Initial signs are that they love it.
Here is a picture of them before they left on their first day:
Half way through the first day we got a call from the school - every parent's nightmare. They told us that Theo had been stung by a wasp, not once, but twice! They said he was initially very upset but that he was now calm. They said he was showing no allergic reaction and they thought he would likely carry on as normal. However, they wanted to tell us so that we could chose whether to come check on him or not. We thought probably best to just get him at the normal time given that he was calm by the time we got the call.
When I picked Theo up I immediately said 'Theo show me where you got stung. I am so sorry that happened to you'. He quickly told me that it had already healed. He wasn't the slighted phased! In fact, he is now known as the 'boy who got stung' by all his classmates! Sad as it was that he got stung on his first day away at school, I think overall it was a bonding moment for the class. A few days later we got a letter in the mail from his teacher consoling him and telling him how proud she was of how he rebounded after being stung twice. What a memory!
Here is a picture of them before they left on their first day:
Half way through the first day we got a call from the school - every parent's nightmare. They told us that Theo had been stung by a wasp, not once, but twice! They said he was initially very upset but that he was now calm. They said he was showing no allergic reaction and they thought he would likely carry on as normal. However, they wanted to tell us so that we could chose whether to come check on him or not. We thought probably best to just get him at the normal time given that he was calm by the time we got the call.
When I picked Theo up I immediately said 'Theo show me where you got stung. I am so sorry that happened to you'. He quickly told me that it had already healed. He wasn't the slighted phased! In fact, he is now known as the 'boy who got stung' by all his classmates! Sad as it was that he got stung on his first day away at school, I think overall it was a bonding moment for the class. A few days later we got a letter in the mail from his teacher consoling him and telling him how proud she was of how he rebounded after being stung twice. What a memory!
Thursday, 29 August 2013
Magic House
We were able to do some really fun things with our visitors this past Summer. One of the things we were able to do with both the Tuckwells and the Passinghams was visit the Magic House. It was a massive hit with both families and our family really enjoyed it too. Charles had never been before and Erin, Jack, and Theo hadn't been in the last 4.5 years so needless to say we were all excited.
The Magic House is hard to explain, but it never ceases to amaze. It is a kids' dream. Some pictures and descriptions are included below.
One of our favorite areas was miniature land where the kids get to act like they are big people doing big people type things. Here are some pictures of Alicia, Addie, Jack and Theo pretending they are doctors in the nursery.
Another part of miniature land included a store where the kids get to shop and then check themselves out. Here is Addie working on buying a tin of tomatoes with the cash register and scanner.
Eliot also had a good time in miniature land. Here he is trying to climb through a tire on a car that Jack and Theo were busy repairing.
The Magic House is hard to explain, but it never ceases to amaze. It is a kids' dream. Some pictures and descriptions are included below.
One of our favorite areas was miniature land where the kids get to act like they are big people doing big people type things. Here are some pictures of Alicia, Addie, Jack and Theo pretending they are doctors in the nursery.
Another part of miniature land included a store where the kids get to shop and then check themselves out. Here is Addie working on buying a tin of tomatoes with the cash register and scanner.
Eliot also had a good time in miniature land. Here he is trying to climb through a tire on a car that Jack and Theo were busy repairing.
Monday, 5 August 2013
Happy Birthday Theo!
Theo is 5. Normally, you read something, like 'gosh time has flown by' or 'I can hardly believe it'! But with Theo, I can believe it. In fact, Charles commented that I have been introducing him as 5 for a few months now. It is true. Once Eliot turned one, it was so much easier - and pleasing to the ear - to say that my kids were 7, 5, 3, and 1 over 7, 4, 3, and 1. I like the ring of 7, 5, 3, 1. It sounds so organized - whichI am clearly not since Theo turned 5 on July 30th and I am just now getting this up! But nonetheless, I love the sound of it.
In fact, there is more evidence that I am not super organized. I planned a party for Theo at nearby little wading pool that was scheduled to start at 5 and go to 7. I called the day before to ensure we could pay for the guests upon arrival. It was then that I was informed that the pool closed at 5 on the scheduled party day. I greeted Charles at the door when he returned home and told him 'we have a big problem'. I then told him of the pool closing time to which he correctly said, 'no, THAT is not a big problem. A big problem would be finding out tomorrow with all the kids in their bathing suits ready to swim.' He was right. He is good for me. I need him to correct my melodrama...often.
So with a bit of shifting (thankfully only two boys outside the family were invited) and very gracious party-goers we moved the party to 3-5. We had a great time with our new 5 year old. Here are some pictures to record it:
In fact, there is more evidence that I am not super organized. I planned a party for Theo at nearby little wading pool that was scheduled to start at 5 and go to 7. I called the day before to ensure we could pay for the guests upon arrival. It was then that I was informed that the pool closed at 5 on the scheduled party day. I greeted Charles at the door when he returned home and told him 'we have a big problem'. I then told him of the pool closing time to which he correctly said, 'no, THAT is not a big problem. A big problem would be finding out tomorrow with all the kids in their bathing suits ready to swim.' He was right. He is good for me. I need him to correct my melodrama...often.
So with a bit of shifting (thankfully only two boys outside the family were invited) and very gracious party-goers we moved the party to 3-5. We had a great time with our new 5 year old. Here are some pictures to record it:
Wednesday, 17 July 2013
A Great Day and Brothers
We had a great day today. My sister-in-law and family were scheduled to visit us today. We love spending time with Aunt Natalie and her crew. They moved to Pennsylvania just after we arrived in the US which was taunting, but it has not changed our love for them or eagerness to see them. My kids were waiting at the door from the minute we got up today. When Aunt Natalie comes she brings five kids with her (otherwise known as her kids). Josiah, Esther, Miriam, Ezra and Silas are stair steps with my kids which means whether you look up or down there is a playmate. It is a blast.
Well, unexpectedly the day got even better. Natalie and I were sitting out in the backyard when we turned and saw a kid running around the side of the house very excitedly. Natalie made the comment that our neighbor-kid looked a lot like Joshua (who is our shared nephew - my sister's kid). I turned around to see the kid and screamed because it actually was Joshua. My sister had decided to drive in from St. Louis to surprise us and join in on the cousin time. She left her older two kids at home, but we thoroughly enjoyed the surprise (I love surprises) and the additional people.
My sister had the good idea of having Jack and Josiah come back to St. Louis with her for the evening - kind of a big boy sleepover amongst the older cousins. Jack was really keen to go for the night. Theo was not so keen. After some initial crying and claiming that life is not fair, he was pacified by a Lego playing with Mom and a Lego magazine.
Later that evening at dinner we were going around the table doing our highs and lows. Theo was very quick with his. He said his high was The Abbotts coming over and his low was Jack leaving.
It then dawned on me that Theo has slept in the same room as Jack since he was two years old and they have not missed a night together since they started sharing a room (except for the hospital stay when Jack swallowed the coin and Theo had the nasty asthma attack!). It was very natural for Theo to be missing Jack. He has asked me multiple times when Jack will be back tomorrow and has also said in a slightly melodramatic way 'Jack is the only person I like to play with.'
Thankfully not having Jack did not keep Theo up too long this evening:
The empty top bunk:
I love the fact that my boys love each other. I want to remember memories like this because I am not naive enough to think it will always feel this way. My prayer is that my kids will be deep friends their whole lives and am happy that my sister and sister-in-law make it so easy for me to model this to my kids.
Well, unexpectedly the day got even better. Natalie and I were sitting out in the backyard when we turned and saw a kid running around the side of the house very excitedly. Natalie made the comment that our neighbor-kid looked a lot like Joshua (who is our shared nephew - my sister's kid). I turned around to see the kid and screamed because it actually was Joshua. My sister had decided to drive in from St. Louis to surprise us and join in on the cousin time. She left her older two kids at home, but we thoroughly enjoyed the surprise (I love surprises) and the additional people.
My sister had the good idea of having Jack and Josiah come back to St. Louis with her for the evening - kind of a big boy sleepover amongst the older cousins. Jack was really keen to go for the night. Theo was not so keen. After some initial crying and claiming that life is not fair, he was pacified by a Lego playing with Mom and a Lego magazine.
Later that evening at dinner we were going around the table doing our highs and lows. Theo was very quick with his. He said his high was The Abbotts coming over and his low was Jack leaving.
It then dawned on me that Theo has slept in the same room as Jack since he was two years old and they have not missed a night together since they started sharing a room (except for the hospital stay when Jack swallowed the coin and Theo had the nasty asthma attack!). It was very natural for Theo to be missing Jack. He has asked me multiple times when Jack will be back tomorrow and has also said in a slightly melodramatic way 'Jack is the only person I like to play with.'
Thankfully not having Jack did not keep Theo up too long this evening:
The empty top bunk:
I love the fact that my boys love each other. I want to remember memories like this because I am not naive enough to think it will always feel this way. My prayer is that my kids will be deep friends their whole lives and am happy that my sister and sister-in-law make it so easy for me to model this to my kids.
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