1st Day of 1st Grade

It's here! 

The 1st Day of 1st Grade!



Meet the Teacher

Ella is starting 1st Grade!!  Her teacher this year is Mrs. Hegwood.  She is so excited.  We have been counting down the days.

She is all ready for her first day.  I was much more calm this year than I was last year, that's for sure.  It's still emotional seeing your once baby girl growing so fast and heading off to first grade.  She is tickled pink to meet her teacher.

Ella is excited about her new classroom. She found her desk immediately. 

And of course, Ella had to sit down and test it out.

 Ella and Mrs. Hegwood.  Looking forward to a great year!!

Ella Hair Donation to Pantene

Ella has been growing her hair out for awhile now. She wanted to get it cut short for school.  Since it has gotten so long, we have decided to cut it short enough so that we have enough length to donate to Pantene. 

 

Sue from work had given me some books today that her kids didn't read anymore.  Turned out to be great timing, as this was the perfect thing to keep Ella's mind off of getting her hair all cut off.

 All the ponies are in place.  Ready for the first cut.

 So serious.

 And here she is!!

 Beautiful, sweet girl!

And so excited to mail her hair to Pantene.  She even included a colored a picture and put it in the envelope.

Ready for Mimi and PaPa's!!

Mary Catherine and Wes are going to stay with Mimi and PaPa for a week. This is the first time that Wes has stayed away from me and Clint for this long.  Not sure that he fully understands what is going on, but he is looking forward to it!  He has told me several times though, "I will go to Mimi's all day long, and then I will come home tonight.".  We will see how he does!

Mary Catherine is all ready to go!

Wes is potty trained!

I can't believe it - but Wes is potty trained!  Dare I say it - but I think it is true!  He has been interested on and off again for a couple of months.  I obviously haven't pressured him at all, but would encourage him as needed to get on the potty.  He started showing more and more interest in it.  On Tuesday this week, he decided he wanted to wear his underwear on top of his pull-up to school.  I didn't think much about it.  When we got home, he had an accident and I was like, "Whoah buddy, I didn't realize you didn't have a pull-up on."

Well, on Wednesday morning when he got up, he didn't potty in his pull-up.  He went and got on his big boy potty.  Then, as we were getting dressed for school, he did not want to have anything to do with putting a pull-up on.  He wanted his Spider Man underwear.  So, I just went with it.

I packed like 5 shorts and 4 pairs of underwear for school that day - just in case.  You just never know. 

Well, when I got to school that afternoon to pick him up, I was shocked, surprised, excited to see...him...in the SAME pair of shorts I brought him to school in.  No accidents!!  For two days in a row, we have been accident free!! 

Dresses and tiaras

So, the other night, Wesley came down stairs, with purple dance dress in hand, and asked, "Mom, will you put this dress on me?"  I politely and quickly said, "No son, I will not put that dress on you.".  He went back upstairs.

A few minutes later, he came back downstairs and asked, "Mom, will you unbuckle my shirt?"  I asked, "Why do you want me to unbuckle your shirt?"  He said, "To put that dress on."   I said, "No, I won't unbuckle your shirt, why don't  you go ask your dad?"  So, he walked into the other room, walked up to Clint and simply asked, "Will you unbuckle my shirt please?".  So, Clint did. Wesley went upstairs.

A few minutes passed and Mary Catherine comes out in the hallway and yells thru the house, "Everyone come to the BIG SHOW!"

Well, you can only guess what was going on :)  Music and dance dresses!  Crown and all!

The funny thing was as Wes was dancing around the room, the crown started to fall.  He walked over to me and as serious as he could, he asked, "Hey Mom, will you hold my crown, please?"


So, the very next night, we were having another "big show".  Although this time, it was Wes in his Spider Man underwear and Mary Catherine in her ballet outfit.  As they were dancing around, Wes looked at me and said, "Mom, will you get me a Spiderman dress?"  Guess he has a thing or two to learn about dresses :)

Burning in the Taller Room

So, let's preface this with a few things.

1)  Our living room has a two story ceiling, so it feels really open and "tall".  Wesley calls this room "the Taller room".  For a long time, we thought he was saying "toddler" but he is indeed saying "Taller".

2) I had the ironing board and iron down in the living room the other night ironing for my first ever consignment sale.  I left the room for a few minutes, honestly, not even thinking twice about it.  A few minutes later, Wes comes up to me and is saying, "Ouch, Ouch" and shows me his finger.  He has a small little blister on it.  Of course, I immediately asked him what happened.  He said, "The iron is hot."  So, I explained (not for the first time, obviously, that we do not touch irons because they are hot and will burn us.

Ok, so here is the funny.

Wes and I were sitting in the dining the room the other morning eating breakfast.
Me:  Where is daddy?
Wes:  He's in the taller room burning his clothes.

Gotta love him!!

School Supplies and desks

So, Ella and I went school supply shopping the other night.  We decided to go before the madness of Tax Free weekend this year.  Not a lot of people on a Wednesday night, but somewhat still a challenge to find everything on the list.  Somehow, some of the items teachers ask for don't quiet match with what the store actually sells.  So, you just do what ya can and know that everything will be okay :)

On our way home, we started talking about the 1st grade.  Ella is SOOO excited that she is getting an actual desk this year.  Here is our conversation in a nutshell.

Ella:  Well ya know Mom.  When you start 1st grade and 2nd grade and all the way thru, well college, then even when you go to work, you get a desk.  Ya  know, everyone that works has a desk.

Me:  Really?  Well, what do that look like?  I mean, where do you put your stuff.  Is there a basket on the bottom? (yes, that is what my desk looked like in high school!)

Ella:  No, there is this thing...in the center of the desk...that is where you put all your stuff.

Me: Oh okay.

Ella:  And you have a chair.  Because you can't stand all day.  You would get tired, so you need some place to sit, so everyone has a chair.

Me:  Oh, well that's good :)

Pretty cool how their little minds work!

Big changes for Wes

It has been a BIG week for Wesley!!  We have been asking him for several months if he was ready to throw away his ah-sees (pacifiers).  Of course, his answer is always a resounding, "Nooo!".  We have asked if he wanted to give them to Mickey and Minnie."  And his answer is "Nooo!"  We have asked if he wants to give them to the babies at school.  And his answer is "Nooo!" 

Even on Sunday morning, he pitched a fit for his ah-see.  He, Ella and I had stayed home from church because Ella has been sick with an ear infection.  About 9:00, he wanted his ah-see.  I told him he had to go to his room if he wanted it.  After throwing a fit about it, he finally resigned to going to his room to play and have his ah-see. Within about 15 minutes, all was quiet upstairs.  When it dawned on me how quiet it was, I ran upstairs in a panic, only to find him passed out on the floor in front of his crib!

After lunch time, Ella, Mary Catherine and I were downstairs; Wesley was upstairs looking at us thru the catwalk, an ah-see in each hand.  He kept saying that he was going to throw them downstairs.  I told him if he did, we would have to throw them in the trash.  Ella proceeds to tell him that if he will throw his ah-sees away, he can get his big-boy bed, complete with a new comforter and sheets.  He said, "Oh, okay.  I want a big boy bed."  He then throws his ah-sees thru the rails to the floor below.  He quickly says, "Cafren, throw my ah-sees in the crash can.".  So, we did. 

So, now we are on a mission to find him some new bedding for his toddler bed.  Off we all go to Toys R Us.  We couldn't decide between Monsters, Inc, Thomas or Cars.  We finally chose Cars.  He was proud.  After we got home, we got the toddler bed down from the attic, put it together and cleaned it up.  He was excited!!

Say good bye to the crib!

Say hello to the toddler bed!

 

The kids wouldn't stay still long enough to get their pictures in the bed :) 

So, how'd it go?  I mean, move a child from the bed he has always slept in and take away his ah-sees that he has depended on since he was born.  Am I crazy? :)

Well, Sunday night, it actually went great!  He was so tired b/c he hadn't taken a nap since early that morning.  He was so excited about his bed that he forgot about his ah-see.  He never mentioned it.  That being said, he tossed and turned for about 30 minutes - he couldn't get settled.  Finally, I realized he wasn't used to the comforter or sheets, so I pulled them back, he rolled over on his tummy, I put his blanket on top of him and he was asleep in less than 2 minutes. Whew.  Easy shmeezy.  Well...

In the past, he has woken up in the middle of the night calling for him, "Mommy, I want my ah-see."  And of course, when I get in there, it is on the floor.  I give it back, he lays down and goes right back to sleep.  So, about 3 AM, he calls for me.  When I get in there, he says, "Mommy, I can't see with my eyes in here."  (his nightlight was off, so it was really dark).  It took an hour and several trips back in and finally saying, "Mommy isn't going to be really nice in the morning if I don't get some sleep.  Mommy is going to go back to bed to get some rest so I can be nice in the morning.".  He said, "Oh okay."  I didn't hear another peep from him that night.

He has asked for his ah-see several times over the past couple of days.  But, we just remind him that he threw them in the trash.  He seems disappointed, but accepts it.  He doesn't throw a fit or tantrum like he would before, which is nice.  I wouldn't say we have perfected the new bedtime routine.  He hasn't quiet gotten used to going to bed in his big-boy bed.  But, we are working thru it, one day at a time :)

Yeah, so it is has been FOREVER since I have posted anything.  So here is the update on the kiddos.

Wesley
Wow - this little man - he just has my heart all wrapped up.  His sweet hugs and "smacks" (kisses) are just priceless.  I will tell him, "Mommy loves you." He will respond with "NO!!  I love Mo-mmy!"  Love it.

He LOVES to read.  I think his favorite books to read are 5 Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, Goodnight Moon and Brown Bear Brown Bear.  He reminds me a lot of Ella at this age.  He will just sit in the middle of the floor and read and read.  It is only a matter of minutes for him to get the books out of the bookshelf necessary for his "research". 

He can count to 10.  He can sing his ABC's.  Not very good with colors at this point, but he sure does try. 

He is funny...and such a boy.  The other night he was in the bathtub and passed gas.  He immediately started laughing so hard.  He realized what he had to do to do it again, so he did.  He laughed.  He continued 2 or 3 more times, laughing hysterically each time.  Then he sat there, you could see his stomach tightening up and relaxing. He looked up at us and just said matter-of-factly, "No more in there."  Such a boy!

Mary Catherine
What can I say about this love bug???  She went thru a "bad spell" - or a "drama spell" there for awhile, but here lately, she has just been as sweet as can be.  She can charm anyone at any given time.

She really likes her dance class.  Her favorite thing to do when she gets home each day is to put on a leotard and a skirt.  She will wear 2-10 bracelets at any given time.  She can flash a smile that will melt your heart.

She has really gotten into playing Barbie and Princesses.  She is dying to go to Kindergarten with Ella.  She told me not too long ago that she wants to be 6 like Ella so she can go to school.

Ella
Wow - my BIG girl!  (Although she is 44 lbs and Wes is 32 and there is 4 years difference between them).  She has lost one tooth (New Years Day) and has 2-3 that are loose now.  I look at her and just wonder where the time has gone.

She is doing great in Kindergarten.  She is reading like a champ.  She started an Accelerated Reading (AR) program at the beginning of January and is already up to the 2.4 (2nd grade 4th month) level.  She just amazes me with what she can read and understand.  It is bitter sweet though because we are being introduced into the world of Mommy not necessarily knowing all of the books she is ready.  Weird.

She can be sweet and gentle at times, but can also just be to-the-point, non-emotional.  Haven't quiet figured that out yet.  She is very independent.  I love to hear her talk with Wes and Mary Catherine when she is in her teacher mode.  Her voice is gentle and calm and soothing.  Not to say that it is like that all the time though :)  She has told me that when she grows up, she wants to be a teacher like Mrs. Klinker. 

She rode her bike without training wheels last weekend - like all the way down to the cul-de-sac!!  It was amazing to see her do it.  She was so excited and so proud.