Happy LOVE Day!!

It's Valentine's Day around the world, so I am hoping this little post plus some pics will make up for the fact that I haven't blogged in exactly a month. I don't have any good excuses except to say that we've been busy living life - working, playing, and just trying ensure we are functioning family each and every day.

I do have to say, that this Valentine's Day is so sweet with my big boy in kindergarten! He is aware of this special day much more than any other year and was quite into it the other night announcing after supper 'I have to make some special hearts for my friends and you too Mommy'.  Then came his demands 'I'm gonna need paper, markers, scissors, glue - can you get me that stuff?'

Yes sir!

He did cut out a bunch of hearts and filled the names for his friends on his special superhero cards. I did a little sucker photo project inspired by Pinterest - love that site, it doesn't require me to really think, you just open up the site and it basic screams 'this is what you'll do'!

Done and done.

Anyways... I had fun this morning making a heart shape breakfast for my boys, and then sending a heart shaped lunch with E to school. I am sure his 'friendship' party will be equally as exciting.  My baby boy is still a bit young for understanding this occasion, but he was all about the special heart treats on the table this morning. If there is a treat to be had, this boy can definitely find it!

PC and I have a date night planned this weekend... we are off the Eric Church concert, so really looking forward to a night out and perhaps 'a drink in my hand'!

Here's a little peek of our V-Day festivities. Whether VDay is a big deal to you or just another day, I hope each of you take the time to tell someone in your life how important they are to you. Life is too short... don't pass up this opportunity. 

Happy LOVE Day! 
Have a good one.

 

Emery's First Christmas Concert!

Last week we attended E's Kindergarten Christmas Concert. It was a collection of the four JK classes at his school and each class did a presentation of three numbers. It was THE CUTEST.

 The teachers did a great job in coming up with fun ideas and then practicing with the classes so that they could perform in front of a large audience.  I was quite impressed!

The morning of the concert as we were getting ready to go out the door, I said to E 'have fun at your concert today', and he replied a little puzzled and said 'you and Daddy are gonna be there aren't you?' and I told that we would be, and then he said 'well don't panic if you don't see me, cause we have to come in, in the dark and then there gonna put the spot light on us (insert sound affect here.... pssssssh) and then you gonna see me'!

I was laughing! The spot light definitely did come on and E went all Hollywood on us with his hand in front of his face as if to say 'no pictures please'.  Eventually he adjusted to the lights and when we wasn't focused on something going on around him, he screamed sang and danced along with the class.

You will notice he is wearing his 'BLAZER' as he likes to call it. I had picked out another outfit for him to wear, but he insisted on wearing his 'BLAZER' and had to have it buttoned right up. After twenty minutes of trying to convince him that he should save that for his Christmas Eve outfit (as originally planned) I caved and let him wear it when I could see how important it was to him.

All in all, it was a very cute day, BLAZER and all. It these little moments that make me see how quickly my big boy is growing. Great job at the concert E, we love you!

If you are really interested in seeing the whole cuteness factor, you can watch the video.

If the video doesn't load you can go here to view directly on You Tube.

Special Helper Homework!

Today E has been chosen by his teacher to be the special helper for his class. Yesterday,  he came home beaming with the news that today would be his day and that he had to 'prepare a coupla things' for his class.

Included in his bag was a note from the teacher informing us that he would be the 'L'ami du jour' and a request to have us help him fill out a some information about himself (in French) for the class and to practice the sentences he would have to say this morning to introduce himself.

E was pretty excited to get down to business but when we opened the special folder that came home with him, the booklet he was to fill in was no where to be found. I am not sure if the teacher forgot to include it (which E claims) or if he misplaced it somewhere between school and home.  Either way we had to improvise... but we got the job done!

The one activity was to draw a picture of himself above the sentence 'Je suis un garçon'. I was pretty impressed at how he followed instructions to draw his head and then added in the facial details with minimal guidance. He also had the French sentences down pat before we even started to practice them. He's retaining much more French than I had anticipated at this stage and the good news for me is that its helping me to practice my outdated French speaking skills too.

I am excited to hear how his day went today, I am sure he'll be bummed that this special recognition didn't last longer than a day!

Just a sandwich!

Having a little boy in full-time kindergarten means having to pack a little boy's lunch every. single. day. for the next fifteen plus years. This is the one (and probably not the only) thing that I am not looking forward to, but its something that I accept and will try to do my best at.

Last week was our first week on lunches.

The first day, I made a signature ham and cheese wrap, with some grapes, a cheese stick, yogurt, mini muffins, and some fruit snacks.

The second day, I went with crackers, cheese, pickles, and ham in a little container, plus carrots and dip, a few other snacks thrown in.

The third day, I tried the bagel with cream cheese & jam, a yogurt drink, mini muffins, some pickles, and the standard snacks on the side.

On the evening of day three, the conversation I had with E at the supper table went like this:

Me: So how was lunch today?
E: It was good. But how come you put butter on my bagel?

Me: I didn't, it was cream cheese & jam.
E: But it wasn't toasted, you are suppose to toast bagels.

Me: So you want a toasted bagel another time?
E: Ya, toasted, no butter.

Me: What do the other kids in your class bring for lunch?
E: Just sandwiches.

E: So, can I just get a sandwich tomorrow?
Me: (surprised) Okay.

E: Not a wrap, not a bagel, just plain bread and stuff, nothing fancy.

Perhaps, I was trying to hard?

Friday, he got just a sandwich. Plain bread, some ham, cheese, and mustard.

Nothing fancy.
 
 

E's First Day of School

And he's off... to school - junior kindergarten, just like that!

What a sweet morning it was for our big boy. He grabbed his lunch, saddled up his over-sized backpack and boarded the bus like he's been doing it for years.  He didn't waiver at all... saw the bus, gave a kiss goodbye, and marched up the steps like it was his job!

PC and I arrived at the school to greet the bus and to get E to the proper room to get settled and meet his teacher.  He really didn't look back from the moment he jumped out of bed, proudly announcing, 'I'm going to school today'.  I am sure the excitement and the day's activities will exhaust him by supper time, but I can't wait to see what he has to say about his day.

I really could not be prouder of this little man. He did it, he really did it (and we did it too)! I got a little teary eyed driving to the school but I held it together on outside, even though I was sobbing on the inside.

What an exciting morning... our big boy is now a school boy!

Yay!

 

T'was the night before kindergarten!

So here we are... the night before E's first day of school, first day of junior kindergarten.

I am filled with so many emotions tonight... a bit of excitement, a bit of nerves, and the urge to cry just a little.

How can it be, that the little baby boy who stole my heart almost four years ago has now grown into an independent little man who is now able to hop on a school bus and start kindergarten. Every day for the last four years, I have been amazed at this little boy - and I am sure tomorrow will be no different.

I hugged him just a little tighter tonight, and told him I loved him about a dozen extra times above normal. His excitement is contagious, and I am hoping that my nervousness for him is not. I am excited for what is to come for him, all of the new opportunities, and a different way of exploring the world around us, but I am also nervous for the many encounters he may experience, where PC or I won't be there to help him or give him that extra nudge of encouragement that I know he sometimes needs.

This going to school thing is turning out to be harder on me than it is on him. I wish I could bottle up his enthusiasm for riding the bus (and then shoot it back to him when he's 16 and hating the bus). I wish I could somehow protect his innocent view of the world and head off any cruelty that may come his way during his school years. These are little things that keep me up at night lately. The unknown world of what the school years will hold for him. Will he be kind, will he be smart, will he be sporty... there are so many paths this first day of kindergarten can take... and yet all I want for him is to enjoy learning and have friends that like him for who he is.

As much as I am dreading the negative things that come along with going to school, I am too looking forward to the personal accomplishments he will experience by being a member of a classroom, and all of the wonderful things he will bring home, telling us all about what he has learned, or what he got to do at school.

Of course, there will be moments where I am sure I will less than impressed by something he may be involved with, but I hope that in some small way PC and I can be there to keep him on the right track and guide him down the path that allows him to make good decisions in difficult situations.

Ahh, the pressure that is going to kindergarten!

Tomorrow will be a big day all around. Big for E, and definitely big for Mommy & Daddy.

Emery, I want you to know how very special you are to both Daddy and I. We can't wait to see you take the bus in the morning, and meet your teacher, and unpack your school bag in your new classroom. It's going to be a great day all around (even if there will be a few tears).

Good luck tomorrow on your first day of school... and as always, lots of love.

xoxo