First day of school

We survived the first day of school:) I didn't take a single picture. I meant to, really, especially that "first day of school standing in front of the car with my backpack and lunchbox" picture. We'll get one tomorrow, and pretend it was the first day.

We made it there on time, with lunchboxes and backpacks, and the kids were just fine going in. Gene and Lucy spent some time in the before-school care room. Gene had to bring his favorite fruit (he chose watermelon) to make a class fruit salad for snack. Lucy brought nuts and raisins for snack, and came back with 3 cheez-its in her snack container. Jane told me she didn't have any snack (I'm pretty sure she did).

Gene said his favorite things were Spanish and music, Lucy did a bunch of art projects (most of them on her own, one with the class) and Jane had to change into her "extra outfit" as soon as we got to school, because I forgot to put the stopper in her sippy cup and water leaked all over her lunchbox and lap.

Everyone is fine, even excited, about going back. That is all that we can ask right now:)

As for my day, it went well. The children (for my mom's sake, I will refer to my own offspring as "kids" and the classroom bunch as children...will that work, Mom?!) were all ok about their parents leaving, and no one really cried. I like them all, and see a lot of potential in them...really a bunch of cute children! I spent the morning in the preschool class, then go to eat lunch with the kindergarteners, and spend a bit of recess with them, then head to the nap room and rub backs and try to get the little children to sleep. Jane was one of them, so I got to see her.

That's all for now. Pictures coming...sometime.

An update already?!

I actually have a minute, so here is a new update. We haven't been home a lot lately, but when we have the kids have been keeping themselves pretty busy.

We had a puzzle morning, and Gene and Lucy put together most of a 100-piece puzzle all by themselves, after complaining that it was too hard for them. Jane is a whiz at the wooden puzzles, and I've had to pull out the easy ones and leave the hardest for her.



We had pancakes for breakfast one morning, and Jane at one point announced, "I am going to make a face." She promptly broke her pancakes into pieces and arranged them like so:


Two eyes on top, a mouth on bottom, and a nose and two cheeks in the middle.



We went to watch our friends play softball, and while they were playing the kids played on the playground. Until a few of them discovered the dirt in the dugout of another field...



This one ran to investigate, was told by her mom that it was ok, stopped to get a drink, and announced to the kid-pack on the playground that the dirt was up for grabs.


Pretty soon it looked like this. And all the parents started planning bath-night.



Jane helped me make my bed one morning...she actually insisted that she would do it by herself that time...and she mostly did:)



We've had the sprinkler on the last few days, because our grass is parched and looks awful, and the girls have enjoyed taking advantage of it. Their favorite sprinkler activity is trying to catch the water in buckets (which takes forever, but they don't mind!


We're headed up north for the weekend, and then school starts!!

August update

Here's a quick update on the last month's worth of activities and happenings:


We went blueberry picking 3 times, with various friends...the kids ate tons, and brought home just a few for the winter (think Little Sal, with no bears). The girls helped sort them later.




All three children participated in the library summer reading program, and Gene used our Montessori math materials to count the pages he read. It was in the thousands, so he got great addition practice:)


Brendan participated in a "crazy" triathlon, which took all of 5 hours from start to finish. Swimming, biking, running, more swimming, more biking, more running...you get the picture.
He was quite surprised to win a "major award" during the awards ceremony, for finishing second in his age group (out of, uh, three)...



The kids all came with me a couple times to the UPS store in Saline, which happens to give great service, but never quick service. They know how to settle right in until I'm done.


We also went raspberry picking, and mashed up most of them to make jam.


Gene sorted, and everyone took turns mashing.


Lucy was SO EXCITED to finally make something from one of her Highlights magazines...mac n cheese muffins. Yum.

Sunbathing by the pool. Too bad he's the only child who doesn't tan.


Bookworm #2 in a favorite reading spot at the library.


And in the car, another favorite reading spot these days.


Bookworm #3 in the making...


Jane loves to help in the kitchen, and now she is actually able to be of help. She was arranging our garden broccoli in a pan, I think.


The curlie girlie, eating breakfast. Usually, she likes to eat the spoon better than her oatmeal. She is NOT an oatmeal lover. Oh, but I just noticed what else was in the picture. Jane woke up super early that morning, and snuck out with B to get doughnuts for everyone.


B and I competed in two triathlons together this summer- one in Mackinac City, and the other in Brighton. We traveled to the former by ourselves (call it a crazy date) while we were already up north on vacation, and got to stay in a hotel overnight. For the latter, we had company. Donal and Lindsey met us there, and watched the kids during the race. Too bad the camera battery died before they could take pictures of US...!


This is how the infamous "exercise train" runs in our house in the early morning. They all like to "exercise" together, which usually turns into something very silly. But they love to run through the house summoning all members of the "train".


Aunt Kathleen generously donated her Scrap Box finds to the girls, and they spent a blissful morning crafting. Thanks Kathleen!



I took the kids to the local grocery store to deposit our cans and bottles, and they basically did the whole thing for me:)


Lucy is working on writing lowercase letters on the line, and Jane will learn soon, right? She's learning the sounds of the letters first, just, uh, 19 more to go...


Gene is still intent on selling his "bookmarks" that's he's been making all summer (small scraps of paper that have been completely colored in one color of marker). Since he wasn't having much luck selling them, we convinced him to sell cookies and lemonade with them. Over the last two days, he has made 6 or 7 dollars! He convinced the Mitzel girls to come and help, and the girls worked on coloring signs for the sale.


And posting them.

And that brings us up to the present, once again. That's all for now, folks.

From the mouth of...Jane

Well, I took my month-long vacation from the blogging world, but vacation's over now! I probably won't be able to post every day now that school's getting ready to start, but look for a post at least once a week. But maybe every day:)

So, we were driving through some farmland yesterday, and everyone was peaceful in the back. We had some music on, and Gene and Lucy were reading books. Jane was looking out the window. All of a sudden she noticed something and exclaimed excitedly, "Look, elephants!". We all looked, and a split second later she sheepishly corrected herself. "I mean, horses."

Vacation break

Not planning to post anything for a couple weeks...getting ready for vacation and then going on vacation:) But lots of great pictures will be coming, probably, after that.

Weekend

The kids walked to the Celtic Festival parade in Saline on Saturday...I would recommend it to anyone with small children. Much better than the Memorial Day parade from a child's point of view- TONS of candy, horses, men in kilts playing bagpipes, twirlers, and karate demonstrators. Not very long, but very satisfying.

They walked with the VanderVeen cousins, and Jane and Ellie moved Andrew and the wagon along the whole way there.



Lucy and Jane experimented with mixing all the various beads, beans and rice that we have had on the shelves lately...and realized it takes a lot longer to clean everything up than it does to dump out.


Grandma Patti and Grandpa Ken came over for brunch on Sunday- very nice:)


Sunday afternoon has been "Family Art Time" lately...Brendan traces pictures from a coloring book, and the kids color them. Gene was getting into his coloring book, and talking excitedly about having an art class when he goes to school. This is GOOD for him, as art has not been interesting to him, ever.



Gene and Lucy have been going to a neighborhood church for a Children's Choir/ Music class taught by a friend of mine, and tonight I brought Jane because Brendan played softball. She ate her dinner in the parking lot- a Parking Lot Picnic.

July 16

Garden and yard work yesterday...I actually managed to work outside for more than 6 hours! With a measly half-hour break for lunch. And I enjoyed it immensely:)

Meanwhile, Jane came out to play in the sprinkler for a few minutes... (her bathing suit was at Grandma's)


And Gene came out to play football for a few minutes (I think baseball season is winding down). All three kids spent the rest of those 6 hours in the basement. Building forts and playing "house". Very strange, as they haven't played down there in months. Gene came out once while I was mowing the lawn and said, "I would like to request three lunches in the basement." They had set up little tables with placements and everything!


In other news, Lucy loves drinking with a straw.


And Gene's latest passion is playing the piano. He is into the major scales right now. And he plays every chance he gets.


We walked to the Dairy Queen tonight after dinner.


Gene and Lucy rode bikes, I pushed Jane's bike. She is still learning how to ride it...steering is so hard!






Hope you all had as good of an evening!