Happy Halloween 2012

Sydney was proudly A FIREFIGHTER and Silas was bouncily TIGGER for Halloween this year. We called ahead to neighbors Frank & Bev to let them know we were on our way - since they only pass out goodies to their grandkids AND us. As we waited for passing traffic, our next-door-neighbors were driving past; Sydney was sad that we didn't get to go say "TRICK-or-TREAT" at their house or show them our fun costumes. (Unlike most people, we aren't really doing it for the candy.) One of our neighbors passed out mini boxes of raisins; Silas felt like he had won the lottery! Our new duplex neighbors even bought the boys extra special suckers. (I put them away for another day.)

Sydney enjoyed one Tootsie Roll pop tonight. I taught him how to unwrap it and then, to count the licks. He lost count, but DID enjoy the sucker and found "some brown thing in the middle". (Unfortunately, he ripped the wrapper to pieces so, I couldn't show him how to flatten it out and search for the Indian shooting the star or anything like that.)

Silas, too, enjoyed a sucker... a smaller, flat one. (His first ever.) Unfortunately, for all of us, we aren't sure WHERE he put the stick (or if there is any sucker left). I asked him where it went, but he kept taking me to the back door and pointing outside, but I knew that he was NOT outside with his sucker.

Sydney asked him "Baby Silas, did you eat the sucker stick?"

Silas nodded his head YES.

Sydney reports "Mom, he said he ate the sucker stick."

Great. (I doubt that he really did that, but I have NOT found the stick yet anywhere. I will anticipate wearing it stuck to the butt of my pants someday.)

Proudly, he exclaimed I SANG TODAY!

Today was the costume party at preschool. Sydney donned a firefighter's helmet, water tank with hose, yellow firecoat and rainboots and an official ST PAUL FIRE DEPT tshirt (that was sent to him from the St. Paul MN Fire Department since they knew that Sydney likes firefighters.)

When we went to pick him up from school, I expected chatter about the costume party or trick-or-treating at the church, but instead, he proudly ran to me and exclaimed "I SANG TODAY!"

(That was the one bad mark on his report card, which we had discussed that his teacher's had noticed him not participating with the rest of the class.)

After all of the children had been reunited with their parents, Mrs. Connie (the one we had our conferences with) came out to tell us that Sydney proudly announced to her that HE SANG TODAY. She thought we should know that he DID participate and that he was quite proud of himself for doing it. I told her "That's the first thing he told us when he ran out of the classroom!"

We all thought it was funny.


Speaking of funny... when we dropped him off this morning, Mike had announced "Did you see the clown?"

"Clown?" I asked. (I hadn't seen a clown and had just taken pictures of all of the kids in their seats.)

"Yeah, the one with the giant orange wig." (NOTE: The little girl next to Sydney.)

"Honey, I think that's a princess!"

"Oops! Thought it looked like a clown." (Clearly this house isn't current on our Disney princess knowledge.)


Sadly, one little boy decided NOT to dress up today; his mom couldn't even get him to take off his pajama shirt. (I'm hoping that his day got better.) In his defense, he is VERY YOUNG and isn't as eager to go to school as Sydney is. Sydney tells us that he is friends with that boy, but he cries A LOT!

The costumes were: Batman, a Pirate, a Strawberry Shortcake character, a monster, an owl, a princess (Cinderella, I think), *none*, a monkey, a firefighter, a new Disney princess and a dragon. (The turtle is sitting in the Show & Tell seat, telling about his costume.)

Halloween Costumes 2012

Earlier in the week, Sydney was infatuated with the COWBOY costume so, I was quite surprised when he declared FIREFIGHTER as his pick for 2012. Silas donned the Tigger costumer and was an ADORABLE Tigger!

Boo! {You scared me!} Hiding... Gram! BOO!

We're playing a lot of Peek-a-Boo with many variations.... and LOTS of giggles!

Feeling BLESSED being a mom

I feel SO INCREDIBLY BLESSED; I have a wonderful husband and two incredible little boys that enrich my life and bring me SO MUCH HAPPINESS!

Still finding it hard to believe that seventeen years ago, I was uttering the words "I don't want kids and I REALLY don't think I will change my mind." Granted that was my past life... when I was young... and stupid. Then, the older I got... and when more friends were having kids... or when I would visit my (then) husband's elderly grandmother, I started feeling like I was missing out on something special. I am SO GLAD that I came to my senses and walked away from my high school sweetheart and first marriage. Best Decision EVER!

Fast-forwarding... I was THRILLED to meet "Mr. Right", feeling like THE LUCKIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD and was honored when he asked if I "would be his wife and the mother of his children."

I was EXCITED that he got to hand-deliver both of our sons into this world; thanks to an agreeable doctor. (How many fathers can claim that?!?! Come on... it's way more special than simply cutting the cord!) It's seriously AWESOME!!!

I feel so LUCKY to be showered with affection; one can never have too many hugs or kisses from their children. I love that they enjoy Eskimo kisses and butterfly kisses and that both of them try to do it back. I love getting a kiss on both cheeks and the way that they "rub them in". I love trying to catch the kisses that they blow into the air. I love snuggling. And reading books. And singing silly songs. And dancing - like a frog in a blender, but they don't care because they are just kids... and they are MINE!

I am SO LUCKY to have the opportunity to be their mom and I LOVE IT!

Play Date at Jumpin Janes OCT 25 2012

Parent/Teacher Conferences [3-year-old preschool]

Tonight, we had Parent/Teacher Conferences for preschool. We were allotted TEN MINUTES.

S= satisfactory
P= progressing
N= needs development

Sydney had an S+ because he knows his full name... first, middle and last. (They hadn't asked him his address... but, for the record, he knows that, too!)

Sydney had a P for helping to pick up toys at clean-up time. (Three year olds start off with good intentions of being helpful, but quickly become distracted and start PLAYING again.)

Sadly, Sydney had one N. Our little monkey doesn't participate in songs and rhythm activities. (On Tuesday, when I went to pick him up from school, I could hear the kids counting in unison. I peeked into the tiny window on the door to find Sydney sitting quietly on the floor next to his classmates; classmates who were all counting, yet his mouth was not moving. On the way home, I told him about my observation, reminding him how good he is at counting, and asked him WHY he wasn't counting with the rest of the kids. "I don't really like school counting, mom." Oddly, he gave Mike the same answer later in the day.)

All of the rest of his scores were "S".

We have noticed - FOR YEARS - that he doesn't participate at the library either. He knows all of his shapes, but refuses to speak up with an answer. He races to the bookshelf to select a book, arriving first in line, but always the last one to select a book. At the local pool, we watched him race to the platform and then, stand next to the slide, letting every other person go ahead of him.

TEACHER COMMENTS: Sydney seems to enjoy coming to school. He is a bright, cooperative child who plays nicely. Sydney does a great job peddling the bikes in big room. We are encouraging Sydney to help pick up at clean up time and to sing with us. Sydney is a joy to have in class and we look forward to growing and learning together. - October 2012

They also showed us some of his artwork that they are saving for his portfolio at the end of the schoolyear. They had given him a piece of paper and told him "draw ANYTHING you want". He drew a face with two green eyes, a nose and a mouth. When he was asked what the drawing was, he declared "my mom" and they labeled it accordingly. (As soon as I saw the green eyes, I didn't really need her to tell me WHO it was; proudly, I just knew.)

His other drawing, he traced around his left hand - repeatedly with various colors of markers. (The teacher informed us that SOMEONE was getting brown marker all over the classroom... that was later discovered to be between all of his fingers.) Hopefully, he doesn't paint his entire hand... like he does at home. Seriously, the kid looked like "The Incredible Hulk" or Shrek with those green hands!

On one piece of paper, he was asked to cut with scissors to fringe the edge and to also write his name (to see what he would write). He wrote a Y. The teacher said that he has a hard time finding his name - because there are THREE kids in the class that begin with S. Sydney has since announced to his teacher that "he has to look for the S one that has 2 Y's in it."

As for the class participation, he DOES sing his school songs at home. (Maybe it's one of those phenomenon like when people only sing in the shower?) He KNOWS his numbers, colors, alphabet... Heck, the kid announces house numbers while we drive down the street; he KNOWS numbers!!! He's SO STINKIN' SMART!

We were also informed that he does FANTASTIC riding bikes at school! Many of the kids can't maneuver the bikes on the turns, but Sydney figures out how to keep moving around the turns when his feet no longer reach the one pedal and he blasts off again on the straightaways. YEP, he's pretty AWESOME!

• • •
This afternoon, Mommy went to the dentist for the first time in YEARS! Mike met me there and swapped vehicles, taking the kids home. Sydney had wished that I have a sugar-bug, too as I got out of the car. I explained that I hoped that I did NOT want to have a sugar-bug. ( Obviously, the basket full of goodies weighed heavily on his mind... thinking that IF I had a sugar-bug, I would get to pick out a toy, too.)

Thankfully, I still have NEVER had a cavity!!!

I have, however, been instructed to switch to a sensitive toothpaste for the areas where my brushing has been overly aggressive and nerve areas have suddenly become sensitive.

• • •

11:27pm:
Sydney just fell out of bed for the first time. I heard the THUMP and him start to cry. He came to his bedroom door, crying. I picked him up and hugged him. Then, he announced "I don't know why. I fell out of my bed, but I think I just want to take a nap."

We then, had to turn on the lights in search of his cup of water that HAD been in his bed when he went to sleep. I couldn't find it so, I stole the cup from Silas - who was sleeping.

Pumpkin Carving 2012

Today, we enjoyed a glorious 72°F and took full advantage of the warm weather by carving our pumpkins outside on the deck. Mike did the honors of scooping out the guts and then, I started working on Sydney's TIGGER pumpkin. While I worked, he tackled the ELMO pumpkin for Silas, which was not as intricate, but equally AWESOME!

We were QUITE PLEASED with the results! (And had taken turns operating the camera.)

Best of Pumpkin Patch 2012