A few leftovers from the aquarium.

This week has been a whirlwind and I don’t think it will let up soon. Jake’s parents arrived today which is great for the kids and for us too since we get to go on dates every night. But it also means that I am far from my regular schedule and thus everything piles up more and it takes me that much longer to go back on schedule. But oh well.

Here’s a snapshot I got while David was telling me about something.

And here’s Nathaniel playing with the alphabet bug. He loves any and all toys that make noise. He’ll get them to sing and then play with other things while he listens to the music and then when it stops, he goes back, presses whatever buttons he needs to so the song restarts and then he’ll walk away and play with other things again.

Which of course drives me absolutely insane.

but i do love him so.

So today was hectic at work, i went to a kindergarten coffee early morning for a tiny bit, nathaniel napped, i worked, craziness ensued, we went to pick up david, went to the doctor, rushed back home, in-laws came, played with kids, i made a layout, dinner, bathtime, bedtime, and then jake and i went out to a quickie (and bad) dinner and then came home to watch a little tv together and that was the end of the day. phew! Now I am about to head to bed so I can wake up at 5:45 and do it over again.

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful that my in-laws are here and Jake and I will get some date nights.
2. I am grateful that I had some time to play with scrappy stuff today. As much as I love paint, I love scrapping even more.
3. I am grateful that I got another stitching sampler in the mail today. Nothing like happy mail.

Two Things David’s Grateful For:
1. making bubba the bear
2. coloring my green dinosaur at school
3. reading the lego catalog with meme (jake’s mom)

Nope, I am not out of photos. Just wanted to post something different today. For a brief time, I painted today. For no particular reason. Well with a goal in mind but not cause I have something due or something that I owe. I just wanted to sit and play. So I played. Nice to play for no reason at all. I am not so good with paint and kept chanting in my mind as I painted “Just have fun. it doesn’t have to be perfect. Let it go.” And it worked cause they’re far far far from perfect.

This morning, I drove David to the bus again and we sat and read some more of Phantom Tollbooth. Then I drove back and worked while the little one played. I love watching him play, quietly, engrossed in his play.

In the afternoon, we went to go get David and then he and I read more of the Phantom Tollbooth which I had to finish today since it’s being discussed at book club tomorrow night. And so we sat and I read. Nathaniel got super jealous and kept wanting to come up on the couch. So we sat on the floor and he kept coming and sitting between us and putting his head on David’s lap and whining and trying to get attention. It was a bit annoying but also so very cute.

Then Daddy came home and David was overjoyed.

And they hugged and laughed and played.

Baths, bedtime, dinner, chatting with Jake and here we are, at the end of another day. Perfectly ordinary. Perfect day. Full of gratitude.

Still pondering my September project. I know I haven’t written about July and August, but I promise I haven’t forgotten.

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful that I feel much better now. Still coughing a bunch but otherwise well on the road to recovery .
2. I am grateful that David’s had no punching for two days in a row now. He still loves school and is very excited to be there.
3. I am grateful that I made a little time to paint today.

Three Things David’s Grateful For:
1.coloring a schoolbus at school
2. daddy for playing legos with me
3. finishing phnatom tollbooth (we’re starting tales of a fourth grade nothing tomorrow)

Still sick as a dog here. Aching all over. Sore throat. Whine whine whine 🙂

Little boy work up at the crack of dawn. He was sad too so I just came downstairs with him and gave him some love. We all just relaxed and tried to wake up in our own way. I have to say, it’s a lot of work but so much fun to have two kids. I love watching them together. Especially when they show love.

And friendship. Cause that’s always the hope when you decide to have any siblings.

Here’s Nathaniel exploring David’s legos. While David colors. Look at those toes!

I spent most of the day lying in pain and reading my book while the kids played. In the afternoon, Jake took the kids to Walmart and Safeway and I decided it was time to get off my tush. So I finally did my snack bag sewing project. I’ve wanted to make this ever since I first saw tutorial. It’s so simple and lovely idea. Since David loves green, I picked a green, happy fabric. And it turned out wonderful. (btw, the sticky velcro did totally gum up my needle which later broke so be warned.)

I’d also wanted to make another bag like the one I just recently posted about. I wanted to make one that was deeper with a bigger pocket. I don’t have a lot of big chunks of fabric so there wasn’t a lot of option. I finally came up with a goldish fabric for the lining and a simple gray linen for the outside. And a little cord in gold finished the bag. I love it. I thought I wouldn’t and I broke TWO needles while I made it. But i do love it. Yey. I even put a small patch of velcro inside so I can close this one better.

When they got back, I put the groceries away, fed the kids and then we went out for David to ride his bike. Nathaniel just loves being outside, doesn’t care what we’re doing.

And his brother rode like a champ.

Which made him laugh. Laugh and laugh.

I love love that face. That happy, contented smile.

On the way home, Nathaniel got a chance to ride the bike too.

My three boys. I love how protective and loving David is of his brother and how much Nathaniel looks up to and loves his brother. And they have the most amazing Dad ever. I am a lucky lucky gal.

little boy went to sleep right after that. David and I did some more reading. We’re in chapter 65 now. It’s amazing. I then read some more Phantom Tollbooth. He’s really enjoying it. And so am I. Love that book. Then he went to bed and here I am on the couch again, watching the Emmy’s and in pain. I did finish my book today which makes me happy. I am halfway through Phantom Tollbooth and that makes me happy, too. And I stitched. Good. good day. Let’s hope pain is gone tomorrow.

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful that I made my new bag, really excited about it.
2. I am grateful that the 1300-page book is finally finished. It was looooonnngggg.
3. I am grateful that Nathaniel’s hand does seem to be responding to the medicine, let’s hope doctor says it’s nothing!

Two Things David’s Grateful For:
I’ve been working with David so he can be more specific with his items.
1.daddy cause he helped me ride my bike
2. that we went shopping and bought things i like like bread and bagels
3. for my snack bag and your bag

And now that my week is over I am all sick. Runny nose, leaking eyes, headache, congestion, exhaustion. You name it, I have it. And I can’t take an anti-allergy medicine cause I am still nursing so I am not allowed. Woe is I.

The little one has a drippy nose too so I get a lot of this.

But thankfully, also, some of this.

And reaching for out of reach toys is his very favorite activity.

After we went to get David, I emptied his lunchbox and he drank water from his bottle which, of course, Nathaniel wanted to do, too. So after a lot of strong encouragement from me, he let him. Love seeing these photos.

I know all about looking up to an older sibling.

And another day is done and so is the first week of school. Save for several instances of recess punching, he seems to be loving every moment of it. I am trying to help him and watch out for him while not being insane. The instinct to preserve, protect and worry is very strong. Very. But I am working on it.

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful that this weekend is a quiet one. I am too sick to even think about doing anything.
2. I am grateful that I fulfilled many of my upcoming commitments so I can relax a bit and catch up on everything else for a day or two.
3. I am grateful that we’ve survived the first week. I am hoping and estimating that it will get easier.

Two Things David’s Grateful For:
1. making friends on the school bus. (he made friends with some second graders)
2. going to the office at the school.
3. daddy.

A dragon fish. Aren’t they exquisite?

Today was the first day David was scheduled to take the school bus. So we walked him to the bus station in the morning and chatted while we waited. David walked around and enjoyed the morning weather.

He was quite happy.

We started to get worried cause there were no other parents there but about two minutes after scheduled time, the bus showed up and David got on and he was super-excited. He said hi to the bus driver (who’s awesome by the way!) and he thanked us so much for letting him take the bus! The driver buckled him in and they were on their way!

Once he was gone, we walked back home and I packed up for the morning meeting I had at his school (I am his class’s head room parent.) I brought a bunch of food, some legos and some water for the little boy. The meeting was scheduled for two hours and ended up taking over three hours. Nathaniel was pure joy most of the time. Towards the end, he got grouchy (by this point we would normally have been two hours into his nap!) but I held him and he was pretty awesome to be honest.

Then we came home, he took his nap while I worked and by the time he woke up and ate food, it was time to pick up David. We all walked to the stop and waited for some time. Nathaniel spent this time making some of his many faces. Like this one.

Or this one.

And screamed.

And then gave us the “please pick this up for me” look. He gives this look a bunch of times a day.

Then he laughed.

And finally the awesome smile!

We show up ten minutes early for David’s bus. So we waited for some time since they were also ten minutes late today. I was getting anxious, I have to admit. But the bus came, David came off of it and he was super happy. He said he had another fantastic day! Tomorrow I go to volunteer in his class, then get to meet with his teacher and then go back for back to school night. And then things should quiet down a bit. Or so I hope. I am hoping, guessing, praying that the next ten days or so will find us settling into our routine, finding our new normal and my anxiety will dissipate day by day.

I hope so!

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful that David loved the bus. Yey for the bus!
2. I am grateful that Nathaniel did so well through the meeting and I didn’t have to leave the room but once.
3. I am grateful that I get to volunteer in David’s class tomorrow!

Two Things David’s Grateful For:
1. riding the school bus.
2. my batman backpack.
3. daddy.
4. kindergarten.

Well the day that I’ve been dreading is finally here. Summer is over. over. Everyone thought I was crazy for not enrolling David in a school or some class or camp or whatever. How will you get work done? He will go stir crazy. Blah blah. As it turned out, he was awesome. He played hours of legos and ran around in the backyard. He learned addition and subtraction. He learned to read. (I mean he really can read now!! it’s amazing.) He played with his brother. And he was awesome. Neither of us regret it one bit. One little bit.

We had a meet-and-greet in his class today so we got his school clothes out. Which included these light-up Spiderman shoes. Of course, Nathaniel immediately wanted to put them on. And then, of course, he immediately wanted to take them off. My boy, so predictable.

And then he sucked his thumb a bit. It’s much better but now I’m nervous about it getting sick again of course.

David lay down on the floor, pretending to be asleep so Nathaniel tried to “wake him up.”

And then gave up and went to sleep with him.

And then it was time to go to school. David’s teacher had this photo of a school outside the door with all the kids’ names on each apple. I asked David if I could take a photo and this is the smile I got.

While we waited for it to be time, he played in the playground. And Nathaniel wanted to go too, but we didn’t let him.

Then we went in and he explored many of the corners of his new classroom.

And here he is with his new teacher. She looks quite nice to me.

After we came home, the kids sat on the floor and did what they do often: played legos together. Look at my boys.

And tomorrow is the first day of school. I know I am more nervous than David. I know he will do great cause he always does. Let’s see how well I’ll do.

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful that David’s new school and class appear to be wonderful. I really hope that he loves every minute of his school life there.
2. I am grateful that Jake’s taken some days of to do this with me. I am anxious and it really helps to have him be there with us.
3. I am grateful that I am a little back to my routine today. Tomorrow will bring a new routine but I am still grateful for having exercised, done some art, etc.

Two Things David’s Grateful For:
1. going to his new school.
2. playing some didj games.
3. daddy.