The Kindergarten Blues

So I have to come to terms with the fact that my daughter is starting kindergarten in T-minus 5 months. I have put it in the back of my mind for a long time. I'm not worried. Even with common core looming and the realization that I'm going go be put on the parent side of the controversy, I know she will be fine...but it's still scary. We haven't pushed her to read. We learned early on with G that if we try to make her do something, she is totally resistant...wonder where she gets that from...so we have tried to instill a love of imaginative play, dress up, drawing and coloring, and many books into her. In the last year she has become curious about reading, so I have started with some reading activities- sight words, word families, rhyming, and sound placement.

She is starting to take off and it's pretty interesting seeing it from a parent's perspective. There is no urgency to make a test score in time, no data tracking, no one down my neck to teach text strategies...just me and my girl learning to read...old school...and it's pretty awesome! 

Batman

Meet Batman the lizard. A couple of weeks ago the kids came downstairs and told us they had a pet lizard living in Jackson's bedroom...we laughed it off..how cute we said...what imaginations they have...fast forward to mommy picking up the Batcave inhabitants off the bedroom floor after a very long day.

I pick up something resembling a sticky, squishy throw against the wall toy...only it jumped out of my hand and ran away...it was pretty close to what I imagine finding E.T. would be...so now we have Batman sightings...only we can't ever find him long enough to capture and remove... thinking he would probably like a snack by now but he seems content chillin' in Gotham City...

Opening up, Dusting off...and Birthdays!!

 Wow! I opened this thing up, dusted it off, and realized it's been over 2 years since I posted. I started this blog to document my pregnancy with Gracie and her first year...that, I did well. Then, came the Jack-Jack Attack! This boy of mine is such a boy that I can barely find time for anything but making sure he's not destroying the parts of the house that are still recognizable. 
 He is incredible. His imagination, stubborn ways, and determination are going to take him far...but molding him into what I envision for him is not always easy, especially with a 4.9 year old sister leading the way to chaos. 
 Yep! She will be 5 this month...pretty hard...hard to swallow, hard to believe, and hard for my heart to realize that 5 years have come and gone. She is everything I knew she would be when I first saw her. She is sassy, smart, sweet, a pure joy...she's my friend. She's my little lady and she's still simply lovely. 
 Deciding to reopen up this live journal of our lives couldn't have come on a better day. It is this day, 13 years ago, I became an aunt for the second time. At the sweet, young age of 19 (yep, it's been a while) I was blessed with my second baby girl love-Abigail Marie. She is in my top 4 every morning and night as I ask for God's blessings. He has answered those prayers over and above anything I deserve. She is a kindred spirit with a pure heart. Happy Birthday Abbey! We love you! 
 

Abbey

                                                                 

Abbey holding Gracie

Happy Birthday Jackson!

On the night you were born,
The moon shone with such wonder
That the stars peeked in to see you
And the night wind whispered,
“Life will never be the same.”
Because there had never been anyone like you…ever in the world.
So enchanted with you were the wind and the rain
That they whispered the sound of your wonderful name.
It sailed through the farmland
High on the breeze…
Over the ocean…
And through the trees…
Until everyone heard it
And everyone knew
Of the one and only ever you.
Not once had there been such eyes,
Such a nose,
Such silly, wiggly, wonderful toes.
When the polar bears heard,
They danced until dawn.
From faraway places,
The geese flew home.
The moon stayed up until
Morning next day.
And none of the ladybugs flew away.
So whenever you doubt just how special you are
And you wonder who loves you, how much and how far,
Listen for geese honking high in the sky.

They’re singing a song to remember you by.

Or notice the bears asleep at the zoo.

It’s because they’ve been dancing all night for you!

Or drift off to sleep to the sound of the wind.

Listen closely…it’s whispering your name again!
If the moon stays up until morning one day,
Or a ladybug lands and decides to stay,
Or a little bird sits at your window awhile,
It’s because they’re all hoping to see you smile…
For never before in story or rhyme

not even once upon a time
Has the world ever known a you, my friend,
And it never will, not ever again…
Heaven blew every trumpet
And played every horn
On the wonderful, marvelous
Night you were born.

(From the book "On the Night You Were Born")

My Beautiful Boy!