Good to the last drop

What's even better than getting to be the mother to the world's most beautiful little girl??

That's right... having that beautiful little girl love to make you coffee every morning!

In other news - I'm off on my first field trip as a parent today. We're headed to an apple orchard in the rain. The rain doesn't bother me too much - I'm just excited that Brother is at the age where he wants his mommy to come along. My only hope is that they don't put me in charge of any other kids. There is a reason I'm not a teacher anymore. ;)

The hard work pays off...

I love it that he set a goal and stuck to it (something that I sometimes have a problem with)... look at my little guy. He IS Anakin Skywalker.

A Sense of Humor

I think the game began on a long car ride with the four of us. True, it won't make it into any parenting magazines - but I imagine plenty of other families with young children have played the same game. It's called "How many different ways of saying 'vomit' can we think of?" Brother came up with quite a few good ones - and also had an original entry... "throwing the bologna". We laughed and thought that was the winner of our list.

Fast forward a few weeks and during one hectic morning before school and our crazyass spirited puppy (how long are they considered a puppy?) had an accident on the floor. Ugghh. And then he ate it. I know - way too much information and not necessarily the type of stuff good blogs are made of. But, this is my life. Anyway - after doing this, Mighty Boy proceeded to gobble up his, um, deposit... I think to not get in trouble (because why the heck else would anyone do this?!) Well, that was a bad idea - because as most beings with any sort of brain could tell you - that will probably make you sick. Which it did. All over the living room floor. So - as we are now about 5 minutes late getting out the door, I'm scrambling to clean up the latest mess while the kids look on in amusement. However, the more Little Bitty looks at it - the more her gag reflexes start kicking in. And she thinks that is funny. "Brother, watch this!", she'd scream and then look at the mess and gag and dry heave. "Honey, stop it..." I'm warning. Too late. On about the fourth round of looking, gagging, repeating, Little Bitty also loses her breakfast. All over the living room floor. We were late to school.

Fast forward another several days, Little Bitty is laughing as she remembers the episode and tells her Daddy about it:

"Daddy, remember yesterday [anything in the past is yesterday for Little Bitty] Mighty Boy and I both throwed the bologna!"

"Yes," says Daddy, laughing at her use of the appropriate euphemism.

"Daddy, you know what that Bologna said?"

"What?" asked Daddy - looking at me like 'where is this going?'

"I believe I can flyyyyy!", she sang out before laughing hysterically.

Ahhh, our Little Bitty. She's got it. That keen sense of humor that our family loves. Good job, sweetie. Mommy is proud and I have now documented the whole twisted series of events leading up to your first real funny.

* A side note to Little Bitty - sometimes Uncle Pete will try to be funnier than you - but you remember - you're your mommy's daughter and WE'RE the funny ones.

Little Bitty goes to a Party

Here is a picture of Little Bitty heading off to her classmate's birthday party. She knew that a party was occasion to break out the cowboy hat. I mean -it's either that or a monkey suit, right? She also packed her backpack/lunchbox for the party. She packed a book and some markers (I guess in case the party was a bore she'd have something to do?)

She was the only little girl there without a dress on. She pretty much refuses to wear dresses right now. But - we pick our battles. Glasses? Non-negotiable... dresses? We don't force it. Don't you love the smile? She's at that phase that when you ask her to smile it comes out as some weird, pained expression. She's beautiful anyway.

Last hurrahs before school started

Wow. Being a grown up is exhausting.

The kids are adjusting to the new routine. Little Bitty is psyched about going to her first "build a bear" birthday party of a classmate tomorrow. Brother is playing in his second soccer game of the season. Daddy is the coach and their team, the Iguanas, is awesome. Mostly just because my son and husband are so cute out there on the field.

Daddy took the kids on a last hurrah to a nearby nature center museum the week before school started. We also did a family zoo trip. We got some cute pictures which I've been a little slack in posting. So - here is a myriad of pictures to enjoy.


Apparently Brother loved this gear board and played for a long time arranging them so that they would all move.



Fire fighters in training.


At the zoo. I'll refrain from making a horny joke about my husband.


Our Little Bitty on the carousel.


Hoping through the pond at the nature center museum.

All is well with Team T.

It's interesting how life keeps happening and you can't spend too long worrying about one thing because something else will come along and changes circumstances somehow. All you can do is keep going and doing the best you can. And being thankful every step of the way. My husband may read this and snicker thinking that it sounds way more healthy and adjusted than I actually am.

As I was stewing and hurting for Brother about starting kindergarten at a school where he didn't know anyone we got a phone call that a spot had opened at a magnet school that we had applied for near his old preschool (where Little Bitty still goes). SO - we had a big decision to make on Wednesday. They gave us three hours to accept the spot or not. I grabbed Brother out of his third day of school at his new school to go visit the new new school. This is a Spanish Immersion public school that fills via lottery.

I am so proud of our little guy. I could tell he was hesitant to consider changing schools again, but I also was so impressed that he didn't get overwhelmed or panicked at the possibility. He was very quiet but took it all in as we visited, his eyes lit up as he saw some of his old friends from preschool, his ears perked up a bit as he listened to teachers conversing in Spanish, and I think when the librarian introduced him to her pet frog - he was sold. I think my husband and I both were hoping he would embrace the idea of changing to this new school. It's really a fantastic opportunity - but I stayed objective and tried to talk through the pros and cons and I acknowledged that the timing was frustrating because he was just starting to get used to his new class.

As we drove away from the school I told him we would have to decide soon but that we could go home and talk it over with Daddy. He replied that he was ok and thinking about it and would make a decision soon. About five minutes later he announced that he was going to the new school and would be learning to speak Spanish. His first day was yesterday and I don't think I'm imagining things when I say I feel like I got my little guy back. After seeing him be a little less than himself for the past week or so, he was so enthusiastic and talkative last night. We went to an ice cream social at his new school last night and he ran and played with both new friends and old. He jumped out of bed this morning and was dressed before he came downstairs. He was doing fine at the other school - he really was - but this feels different. And I am happy, happy.

Little Bitty is also doing GREAT in her new class. She is wearing her glasses all day. No kids have teased her or shunned her as she feared. And we had an exciting surprise yesterday when she got two new friends in her class - twins adopted from Guatemala! That makes FOUR Guatemalan born kids in her class of 16. How cool is that?! Her only issue in her new class is that she loves the centers so much (specifically the dollhouse center) that she doesn't want to stop to go to the bathroom. She has dirtied her britches two out of four days this week - and the girl is 100% potty trained, this doesn't usually happen. Ah well. We all transition in different ways. And really - I'm glad that it's her showing her adjusting by pooping her pants and not me. I'll stick to eating snickers and not sleeping well.

Only because I have to let them grow up.

Monday was another first day! First day of Pre-K 1 for Little Bitty. The preschool they have both attended is set up much like an elementary school in that the whole class moves up each August into the next grade level. So, this means that Little Bitty just moved from the 2A class up to Pre-K! We are all very excited for her - and she is excited for herself. There was no nervousness or tears from her yesterday. Just a lot of big smiles. She was most excited that this class has a dollhouse center. She was planning all weekend to start the day off there. Thank goodness it worked out that way. Or I would have had to lure one of the other kids OUT of the dollhouse center to make room for my daughter. She also got invited to her first birthday party yesterday. She's attended several with Brother, but this is one that she's actually invited to - at BuildaBear - whoohoo.

Here she is on her first day of Pre-K!

Yesterday she missed school because we had a follow up eye appointment as a result of a questionable vision test result at her three year appointment. A note here about trusting your "mommy instinct"... the nurses performing the test were going to blow it off as her "losing interest" in the game of naming the pictures they were holding up. But knowing my daughter as I do - I knew that she was acting embarrassed and frustrated. Suddenly little signs that I had dismissed all added up and I knew that she was having some trouble seeing. Our pediatrician suggested a great opthamologist (spell check is wanting to change this to something that I am pretty sure is someone who studies bugs - so I'm leaving it) who works with many children and she was diagnosed with an astigmatism in one eye that needs to be corrected. So - here is our BIG GIRL in her BIG GIRL glasses!

I'm not going to lie - there is some bribing going on to leave these on for most of the day. A new remote control puppy dog from Target is involved. I think she likes them alright... but she did ask me last night what she should tell kids that ask her "why is she wearing those glasses?" and asked what to do if they didn't want to be her friend anymore. UUUGGHHH. It hurts my heart so bad. Between that and Brother telling me that he didn't have any friends to play with at recess just about drives me to start designing that bubble that I'm going to put them in at some point to keep them from EVER getting hurt.