Exciting first day of school - 1/26/10

Today Jack started his new preschool and we couldn't be happier at how great it went. He was really happy and seemed to have a great time. He was understandably nervous at first but within about 10 minutes was answering questions and fitting right in. It's a small group of kids - 3 boys and 3 girls and seems like it's going to be the right fit for Jack until kindergarten starts in the Fall. He will be going Tue/Wed/Thur from 12:25 - 3:25.

They said the months of the year, days of the week and counted the days in the month

He got to turn the "weather wheel" to cloudy/rainy and dress the "weather bear"

Check out that happy face!

He was chosen to hold the flag for the Pledge of Allegiance

When I picked him up his teacher said he had a great day and seemed as if he had always been there. I love that! When he said grace tonight at dinner he thanked God for helping his parents find his new school - it was super sweet.

They studied penguins today - it was even dress like a penguin day (notice all the black and white). We found out a bit too late so he wore navy and it was just fine. They did a penguin craft and learned a bunch of cool penguin trivia. He loved sharing all that he learned at the dinner table tonight.

Leaving the boys previous preschool was a difficult decision, especially since it's a great place with great teachers and administrators, but it was the right decision for us. Our hearts told us it was the right decision when we made it and now we have even more proof. It feels good to know that we have made a move for Jack even if it makes life a bit harder for mommy. I know we will all adjust to the new schedule and will be happier in the long run. Benjamin is ready to start his new adventures now that he will be home with mommy and sister full-time! Will update on that next week.

A rainy day is a good time to do a PUZZLE!!

Jack enjoys doing them AND he's really good at them. It's so cool to watch his mind work. He will pick up a puzzle piece and he almost instantly knows where it goes. This was a 300 piece puzzle - the biggest he's ever done and it was the perfect thing to do over the long rainy weekend.

Story Time

So I was a little frustrated last night after a long afternoon with the kids that didn't go as I had planned. However, after everyone was asleep it became obvious that I had allowed the unpleasant moments to overshadow the great ones that we had. I know it's normal for that to happen sometimes, however, I don't like when it does.

We actually had a really fun morning together. I took the boys to story time at the library and we all had a lot of fun (even Annabelle). The theme was dinosaurs and the librarian read several books we had never heard before. She also did a bunch of fun songs and games with the kids. I have this weird hang up about the kids participating - I love it when the do and get secretly annoyed when they don't. Well, they participated great and seemed to really enjoy themselves. After the songs and stories they created dinosaur pictures using crayons and foamy dinosaurs (LOVE foamies). Both boys did a very nice job and were very proud of their pictures. After the creative time they had toys available for the kids to play with. It was really nice being there with all three kids and feeling like everyone was enjoying themselves. Our last few library visits have consisted of Annabelle crying, Benjamin being super fidgety and not listening and Jack not wanting to participate but only focused on checking out his library books and 1 weekly video. This wasn't the case at all. We were actually there 2 hours in total - not too bad for 3 little ones.

When we left we had to run super fast to the car because the rain was coming down like crazy but it sort of added to the fun of the morning. We had a good time, came home with several fun new books and two videos so I would have to say it was a good morning. With that said, I will not let a good morning be forgotten just because we had a not so good afternoon :-)

Lets see what tomorrow holds for us - looks like it's going to be another indoor rainy day!

Why?

are the boys being so crazy?

Why do they feel the need to hit and kick one another?

Why did I choose to stop forcing naps even though I knew it would somehow backfire on me?

Why did Benjamin color ALL over his room in red marker today?

Why did I get SO mad about it before successfully getting it off with the Magic Eraser?

Why do I have to give Annabelle a medicine she hates and makes her gag each day?

Why does teething have to hurt so bad?

Why can't we have a bit more quite in our home?

Why is my "to do" list so long and seems to never get crossed off?

Why can't it just rain at night so my children can use all of their crazy energy during the day?

Why can't I just get to bed earlier so that I am not so tired and grumpy?

Jack's crazy hair: 12/22

This is what Jack looked like when he came home from getting his hair cut.

He was so excited. He thought he looked so cool!

Thankfully he was back to normal after his shower :-)

BOYS!! 12/21

We had our first all boy play date and it was super fun! It was spontaneous and low stress - just like I like it.
It was a nice small group that played well together. Thanks for coming over Quinn and Lucas and for bringing your mom's for me to visit with.
Lets do it again soon!

Surprise visits can be the best kind! 12/21

We were SO excited when Mrs. Bailey came by for a short visit. Mrs. Bailey was Jack's preschool teacher last year and someone we miss dearly. She is a wonderfully kind, loving, fun and all around super great lady.


Jack felt so special to have her at his home.

We were so glad she was finally able to meet Annabelle. Mrs. Bailey's prayers and friendship were a great source of strength for me when I was pregnant.

THANK YOU MRS. BAILEY FOR COMING TO VISIT!
PLEASE COME BACK OVER ANY TIME.

Thank you!

Branden and I want to express another HUGE thank you to my parents - Mom & Fred and Dad & Alex for the AMAZING Swing set they bought the kids for Christmas. It was delivered and put together (yeah for Branden) the week before Christmas. We are so excited for the many, many years of fun we will be getting out of our super fun backyard!

In case anyone is wondering, buying used is 100% the way to go. We found it on Craigslist from a family in Yorba Linda. It was only 2 years old and in excellent condition! Super great deal!

Jack's Preschool Photo Album 2/08 - 10/09

Click here to view this photo book larger

So behind.........................

It's the 9th day of 2010 and I literally feel like I am still playing catch up from Thanksgiving. I feel so behind on so many things and I am struggling to get caught up. I think I am just so behind now that I don't even know where to start. Here's the short version of what I haven't done:

If you are reading this you know that I am seriously behind on my blogging. Obviously, it's not critical but it's something I enjoy and a great way to document our life. We have finally realized that if we don't write it down (and quick) we sadly won't remember it. With three little ones I believe it's critical to remember these special days. I hope to still get Thanksgiving, Christmas and Benjamin's 3rd birthday documented.

I have a ton to add to Annabelle's baby book - she's doing so well and getting so big (sort of). She's still a tiny peanut but she did get her first tooth this week!

I only sent out HALF of my Christmas cards! Is that horrible or what. I told myself not to worry they could just be New Year's cards. However, once I did that my baby boy (Benjamin) turned 3 and all my attention went to him - code for I have not picked the cards back up again - ugh.... Valentine's Cards maybe :-)

I also had "plans" for the new year that just haven't been set in motion yet. I'm slightly worried that I will just comfortably stay with what I have been doing and not make my changes - I am ready for some changes! I planned to go to bed earlier (it's 12:45 am), I planned to keep the house more picked up, I planned to return e-mails quicker, I planned to try 1 new recipe a week, I planned to start exercising......Oh how to get motivated when you have 3 little kids to care for each day???

The list can go on and on, but I am starting to get depressed (not really). I'm actually super happy today. I had a GREAT day with the kids. We went to the library and the park and just had a really good day together. The boys worked hard not to fight with each other and to keep their hands to themselves (VERY big deal!) and they played in the backyard without needing me right there. Although, Benjamin did not nap he was still a good boy and I chose not to get mad about it (VERY big deal for me!). Jack did nap which earned him 45 minutes of extra one-on-one time with me this evening without his brother who was already in bed. My sweet Annabelle has a cold and maybe pink eye (not sure). She's coughing, sneezing and has a goopie eye which is super sad, but she is still sweet and cuddly. She somehow manages to shoot us her trademark open mouth smile even when she's not feeling well. She can be so sad and then smile that adorable smile that just melts your heart. I just can't get enough of that little girl.

I LOVE MY KIDS SO MUCH!!! As crazy as they make me sometimes, I LOVE them 1000 times that amount. I am so thankful to be their mom and to be with them each day. Even though it's super tiring and I don't seem to find much time for anything but them I know it won't always be like this. Jack will be starting kindergarten at the end of the year and I just can't picture what my mornings will be like without him (probably much quieter and calmer). They are all getting so big.

Well, I hope that 2010 will start to look more like I "planned" and that I will be able to blog about it soon but if it doesn't I really hope to continue to have great days with my precious little ones!

Parade, Pancakes, Prunes and finally some poop!

We started our New Year's Day by watching the parade and having some pancakes.
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No pancakes for Annabelle, but she did get to have prunes for the first time. She has been severely constipated so we decided to give the prunes a try - it worked!!!

Check out this video and watch how very proud Benjamin is of his little sister. It was a good morning!