1st Day Back to School

It's hard to believe that summer is over. Grace, Ethan, and Joey all started school today. The kids had a great morning. Ethan wore a brave face. When I left he was holding his teacher’s hand and his chin was quivering fast and furious. I told him to be brave and have a great day. He looked up (chin still quivering) and said, “I know. I will.” It was very sweet. When we left Ethan's school, Grace started to get butterflies. She told me, “I think I’m starting to feel a little like Ethan.” Once we got to the school she allowed me to walk her into the school and to her class. In the end, first grade was much easier than kindergarten (for me that is).

Art

Anyone who really knows Grace knows she loves to draw. I found this today on my computer and it made me smile.

In 2008, Grace wanted a new doll house. We told her that if she would learn to write her name she could have the new doll house. Grace promptly walked over to the desk and started scribbling. We thought she was drawing - a moment later she brought me this paper. This was literally the first time she let us know that she already knew how to write her name.

How did this happen?

Well it's official - she's growing up whether I like it or not!

This morning as we left for school Grace discovered a loose tooth (bottom, center). She was thrilled (that's a huge understatement!). The thought of this freaked me out!

As Joey drove into the school to pick her up (I was on the phone) she declared that she lost a tooth at school. Un-stinking-believable! Who loses a tooth that fast?!?!

As I tucked her in tonight she told me how excited she is for the Tooth Fairy to come visit. She has some great ideas on what the Tooth Fairy looks like, "polka dot skirt, pink shirt, yellow hair, you know like any Tooth Fairy!".

Grace Goes To School

Grace started her first year of school this year. She's adapted so well. She loves her class and her teacher. Just a few memories I wanted to share and more importantly, I didn't want to forget!

• Grace's first day of school she walked into her class without looking back.
• She thought it was SO cool that there's a nurse at school. She was quick to tell me what I have to do if she gets sick at school.
• At curriculum night we had a chance to explore the work Grace did over the first week. Inside her notebook she had two notes that melted my heart. The first said, "I mis mi momma and mimie". The other note was on a page further back and said, "I mis alis". Alice is her favorite doll she got for her birthday.
• Favorite part of her first day: Lunch
• Her only fear/worry was that she couldn't find her class room. It took a full week but today she finally came home and said she found her class all by herself!

Making Memories

This summer Joey and I decided it was time to escape reality and go on a family vacation. We found a beautiful spot on Lake Ouachita where we stayed for a week. It was beautiful. My only complaint was how quickly time went by. The kids LOVED the lake. My mom and dad came with us and brought the boat. The kids got to ride on a tube, dive off side of the boat to swim in the lake and even drive the boat.

My Healthy State of Denial

I'm pretty sure there's no way my little girl is old enough to enter kindergarten. In my mind she's not really in PreK, just attending a Montessori school. My state of denial aside, Grace graduated PreK tonight. Hard to believe four (almost five) years have gone by since Grace entered our world. Over the past year she's shown so much maturity, humor and sensitivity. I love her independence, leadership and her decisive nature. She has a selfless heart and a tender love for family and friends.

Our experience with Grace and her school has been nothing short of spectacular. She's blessed with wonderful teachers who truly care about her well being. I'm so grateful for the tireless dedication they show to our children.

Just a few notes from tonight's events:

• On the way to the school, Grace spent about five minutes telling Ethan the 'rules' and her expectations for his behavior. This included no crying, sitting still, no getting on stage, no wiggling (note: she did call him a worm - meant wiggle worm but forgot the wiggle part) etc. - Note: Ethan did not follow her instructions, he did in fact make his move onto the stage at some point.
• Grace's class put together a show where they all sang songs followed by a ceremony where each graduate (Grade K) and participant (PreK) child was given a diploma.
• At the graduation I sat up front next to one of Grace's best friends (Gracie T.) mothers. I think this made Grace's night, she and Gracie T. have worked for months to set up a play date or slumber party. During the graduation my Grace signaled to me to over and over that I was next to Gracie's mom (as if I didn't know this - LOL). Grace was insistent I seize this opportunity to set something up. Again, she was on stage through all of this!
• After the short precession and diploma distribution we moved on to Ethan's favorite part of the night - Cake!

Grace, I'm so proud of you. Keep up the good work but most of all keep your personality, loyalty, decisiveness and tender heart. You worked so hard for this night and you did a wonderful job. We love you little one.

Easter at the Farm

It's not a big surprise to most that my favorite family, outside of my own of course, is Erin's family. A favorite past time has always been traveling to the farm in east Texas. There's nothing better than a weekend without television, a blackberry that does NOT work and friends I miss seeing everyday of my life.

This year there was a baby boom which kept everyone busy! Time flew by too fast, I wish we had more time to sit, share and just enjoy one another. We spent all of Saturday at the Texas State Railroad, most famously known for the Polar Express rides at Christmas time. It was the first time my kids had been on a real train. Grace cracked me up when we got on, she leaned over and told me, "I wish this thing had seat belts".

Hope you enjoy the pictures, I l-o-v-e the way a few of these turned out. Definitely some of my new favorites.

Nutty & Loveable

A week or so ago, we made a short drive to take pictures and see the wildflowers just west of Houston. I had no idea it would turn into more of a pilgrimage. It's crazy to see how many people had the same idea! We did find a little spot that was more beautiful than words can describe. The field was huge and just full of flowers.

For those who may not know, Grace created a move called "statue". Anytime someone says the word statue she freezes and strikes a pose. It's quite funny! All statues are different and evidently contagious. Since Ethan was barely one he's tried to do e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g his big sister does, including the statue move. It was only natural that the three of them (yes, Joey's in on this too) would take the chance to strike a statue pose together. They keep me entertained. This moment made the shot one of my favorites from the day. Other than being really windy and cold it was absolutely beautiful.

Ethan's Surgery

I am terribly late posting about this, probably because I'm still dealing with it myself. About ten days before Ethan was scheduled to have tubes put in his ears we were experiencing yet another ear infection. After meeting with our pediatrician she recommended we start an antibiotic and stay on it until we made it to the surgery, just to keep him healthy enough for surgery. Sure enough her plan worked, on February 16th we took Ethan into the hospital for surgery.

Ethan was amazing. He was a trooper and managed to keep us all entertained. We had an incredible anesthesiologist who handled Ethan with a parents tenderness. The surgery went well, recovery on the other hand was the most painful experience of my life. By the time Ethan started to come out of his deep sleep he was ornery and mad at the world (which were pre-warned about). When the nurse was ready to let us go home I thought she was crazy. Ethan couldn't keep his eyes open or hold his head up. The nurse told me over-and-over that once we got home he'd improve, I thought she was crazy. Carrying his limp body out of the hospital I felt like a horrible mother. I felt like I should fight for him, that if something happened once we left it would be all my fault for not speaking up now. I took Ethan back into the recovery room and talked to the nurse once more.

Since his surgery we have returned to our ENT every ten days. We were supposed to have only one post-surgery but for some reason Ethan still has an ear infection. It's been forty days now we're doing a bit better than before. At the thirty day mark the ENT decided to use a little more aggressive treatment. Ethan was given an oral antibiotic, shot and yet another bottle of ear drops. In the ten days since this appointment, Ethan has improved. We're not 100% sure he's better but he certainly looks better, for a while he looked so sickly!

On March 16th, one month after Ethan's surgery, Grace was scheduled to have her tonsils removed. Grace had a run of strep this year, seven times in seven months! This month, is the first time we've gone without strep. Because of Ethan's endless battle with ear infections we made the decision to hold off on Grace's surgery. Grace was sick at the time (with an ear infection of her own!), between her illness and Ethan's extended recovery we needed a break.

Sweet Slumber

Just a quick picture of Grace. She passed out in the car today on the way to my parents house. You can obviously see what she was doing before falling asleep.

A New Chapter...

This week has been total nuts for me personally, professionally and now as a parent. For a number of weeks we've been concerned over Grace and the unbelievable number of times she has caught strep throat this year. Just after Christmas we had a REALLY bad Friday where BOTH kids woke up yaking (this is our not so vulgar way of saying puke). While at the doctor's office we quickly found out that Ethan had yet another ear infection and Grace had yet another case of strep (this makes six times in a year - four of which have happened since August; that's once a month for those who are counting). We questioned the doctor about the often recurrence of strep in Grace. After a quick review of her chart the doctor said Grace needed to see a specialist and would probably need her tonsils removed. It's like deja vu for me - I think I was close to the same age when I lived this same story. While still at doctor's office she popped back in and said that we should make a double appointment because Ethan has had nine ear infections over the past year.

Today was our appointment. Both kids met the doctor and Ethan was also seen by an audiologist. It was pretty clear that both kids would have to have surgery. In February, Ethan will have tubes put in his ears and his adenoids removed. Exactly one month later, Grace will have her tonsils and her adenoids removed. As a parent I was a bit overwhelmed at the news. It took a while to process everything. What I hated most wasn't the news about surgery but the news the doctor said about Ethan. At this point Ethan has a slight loss of hearing in his left ear. There's a good chance he can still get it back but we will not know until after the surgery is complete and some times has passed. Needless to say, it will be a rough couple of months for us. I'm sure both kids will be fine - I'm excited to know we could possibly eliminate the two major headaches in their lives. I guess we'll see how it goes...I'll keep you posted.

While You Were Out

For a while now, truth-be-told since Ethan was born, Grace moved from her old room into a new room. We immediately furnished her new room with a new bed and dresser but did not get as far on the decorating side. Don’t get me wrong, it’s been a long-time goal to get the job done but we have just been a bit busy. Time flies and next thing you know nearly two years has passed.

Over Christmas break we took some time to focus on Grace. She’s been begging to go see my parents. She asked my Mom if she could stay two nights (a child’s method of bartering!). Mom agreed. While Grace was gone Joey and I planned a big surprise for Grace. We worked tirelessly through the night painting her room. Joey ran to the store and bought a new fan (which she desperately needed!) and new wall plates. Most of the items we need we had already purchased over the last few months. It took a full forty-eight hours but we finally finished.

Waiting on Grace to come home was the hardest part. We were so excited to see her reaction. We hid our video camera in the corner of her room to catch the moment on tape. It was worth every ounce of work.

Halloween Page

I'm obviously playing catch up - just wanted to post my Halloween page.

Halloween Pictures

Better late than never! Our little one's survived Halloween - but barely! Grace decided to attempt a reenactment of Halloween when she was two. Just before leaving she decided not to wear her costume. She wanted nothing to do with it. The only costume she would consider was a princess dress, which was not an option since we weren't at home. In the end she did finally cave (as you can see) and we had a wonderful night. Grace dressed as Dorothy from Wizard of Oz and Ethan was her sidekick, a Munchkin from the Lollipop Guiled.

Political Confusion

So for those who know my family best, you probably know who we voted for without me saying a word. That said, Joey and I have made it a point to not discuss our political views with Grace. She sees the candidates on TV and she loves to say ‘Barack Obababama’ (with the extra baba in the middle). When Grace would talk about Obama we made it a point to talk about McCain so she would better understand what was going on and see both sides. Since the primary election we’ve been reading the book Grace For President it’s a great kids book used to teach how an election works (plus we love it b/c it has Grace’s name of course!).

So here’s the point of confusion… (Note this all happened a couple days before the election)

This week Grace’s teacher asked her who she wanted to vote for. I was 100% sure Grace would say “Barack Obababama” simply because she loves to say his name! To my surprise Grace told her teacher that she wanted to vote for McCain and she wanted McCain to win. That evening we talked more about the election and explained the voting process (yet again) without any bias. When it came time to put Grace to bed she said a simple prayer and finished it with, “and I pray Obababama will be a good president”.

Now that the election is all done Grace has started to ask who I wanted to win. I love the questions and being on my toes all the time!

Things That Make Me Go AHHHHHH!!!! (inside at least)

This morning as we got dressed for the day I informed Grace that she could not go to school with marker all over her hand – she scrubbed her hands really well, brushed her teeth and went off to another part of the house while I continued to get dressed. I was actually pretty impressed that she managed to get all the marker off without any help. When Grace returned I thought she would ask me to turn on the TV for her - instead I noticed her hands were once again covered in marker. Demanding an explanation she told me the only thing that makes sense (to a four year old) – “Mom I’m four I have to have the number four on my hand”.

I think I'm fighting an up hill battle.

Memories of a Child

I have clear memories of my childhood and time spent with my Mamaw and Papaw. Anytime my Mom had a commitment for work or a trip where she had to leave town I spent that time with my grandparents. It was always bittersweet - I missed my Mom but truly loved the time I spent with them.

Every time I arrived Mamaw would find out all of Mom's flight details. They lived close to Hobby airport and flights passed frequently. She made sure that when the time was right and a flight was overhead, we would run outside and wave as big as humanly possible to the airplane. It was my form of closure that Mom was gone for a week and our little tradition to starting the week off together.

Since Grace was tiny I've traveled somewhat frequently. This week I'm in San Diego for work. The older Grace gets the more aware she is of my trips. Naturally it's sad to leave but she handles it wonderfully. This week when I settled into the hotel and was finally able to call home Grace got on the phone and told me about her day. It went like this...

Grace: "Momma, this morning I was at school playing and I saw your airplane fly over. I waved, did you see me?"

Me: "You did, how sweet!"

Grace: "Mama, I miss you already"

This story has brought tears to my eyes a number of times. Maybe it's normal for kids to wave at planes passing. It certainly brings peace to a child's heart (I know from experience). Grace never knew about my experience as a child - in fact I'm not sure anyone knew. It was special to my Mamaw and me. This week our little tradition became a tad bit more special when I saw it pass to a new generation. Who knows maybe years from now I'll stand in the back yard with Grace's daughter waving as she leaves.

Open House

Tonight was open house at Grace's school. She was VERY prepared. She knew exactly what stations she wanted us to see! Her favorite (by far) was the piratical life. She loves playing with water! Her teacher bragged about her language skills. She told me that Grace works very well with the younger children. One of the reasons we reasons we chose this Montessori school was the secondary class structure. Grace attaches to older children and she nurtures younger children - it's the perfect set up for her. Needless to say, Joey and I were very pround to hear how well she's doing. We couldn't be happier to see her growth over the past six weeks!

Random Thoughts and Happy Thoughts

Just a few random thoughts about this week...

1 Joey’s started a week ago saying some stupid phrase that drives me nuts. Since it drives me nuts he taught Grace to say it. She cracks me up every time I hear her say, “yo yo what’s up dog”

2. I went into our office today to get some stuff for work. The building sustained a great deal of damage to the electrical damage. From what the building manager told me there was water pouring down the stairs and elevator shaft. At this point we will not be able to report back to the office before Monday (at the earliest).

3. Ethan has recently developed so much personality. He’s so much like his Papa. Today I caught him just lounging on the tile driving a car around. I don’t know where my baby went but I think he’s turning into a little boy before my very eyes.

4. I love lying in my daughters bed saying nighttime prayers and watching the “papa dance” when they are over.

5. No matter how busy I am I truly enjoy stopping for a second to dress a Polly Pocket doll for Grace.

6. One of the things I loved most about this week was having my parents stay with us. It was so nice to have them around and share the experience. I think what helped most was knowing that we were not alone in all of this.

7. Grace learned a new prayer at school – every time we sit to eat she says the prayer to bless our food. I know it sounds silly but there’s something about the prayer and this week’s events that truly makes you say thank you for all things big and small.

Thank you for the world so sweet.
Thank you for the birds that sing.
Thank you for the food we eat.
Thank you for everything.
Bon Appétit, now we may eat.

A Proud Mama

So … I have to take a moment to share my “proud mama” story and brag about my little Grace. This year Grace started attending Montessori school. Joey and I were VERY selective about which school to choose. We wanted to make sure it was a good fit and we would not have any problems (like last year). That said, last Thursday was Parent Orientation night at the school. It was an overview of how the class functions and school rules. At the end of the night I stayed to ask Grace’s teacher about her nap time and the adjustment in school. Grace’s teacher brought tears to my eyes. She told me that Grace is the most spiritual child she’s ever had in class. She complimented her for having a caring heart. She told me stories about Grace watching out for others in class. All too often I don’t give Grace credit for these actions. Sadly, she’s often accused of being bossy. It was that day I realized that many times she’s not trying to be bossy; instead she is worried about everyone around her. I thank God for a child who possesses a selfless heart.

I know that much credit is due to Sarah (our past sitter) and for that I again thank God. It’s hard to believe it’s been so long but Grace was only six months old when I (in total desperation) called a local church and asked for a recommendation of someone who could watch my infant daughter. After the church secretary told me they didn’t have anyone but she’d post a note on the church bulletin board. About five minutes later the pastor, Kevin, called me back and said his wife may be interested. It amazes how God provides. Grace was blessed to be in a loving home with a little girl who became one of her dearest friends, Faith. Sarah, thank you for loving my daughter and nurturing her heart with God’s word.

Picture: Grace and Faith at one of Faith's birthday parties - I think Grace was two here.