Working Together

Putting a house on the market is no small task, so everyone at our house was expected to pitch in. Even the kids got in on cleaning.

You might notice the protective gear that they’re wearing – the boy has his yellow rubber gloves, and the girl is wearing 6 nightgowns. Yes, one on top of another.

Gotta love helpers.

Piano Lessons

Today was the first day of a new adventure for the kiddos….

After the first day they are already talking about their numbered fingers, looking through their books, and practicing on the keyboard we have at home. They are both looking foward to lessons next week.

Leaves

Did I mention that I love fall?

Weather Report

Between the flooding here and following reports on Ike to see what our family in Houston was experiencing, the weather has been on at our house a lot lately. Maybe this is a sign that it’s been on too much:

First Days

Yesterday was the first day of school for both kids. The girl is starting her first year of preschool and the boy started Tuesday school – a school for homeschooled kids that meets once a week. It was perfect timing, because I had the chance to run Bekah around town to take care of wreck-related errands.

They were both looking so forward to school. I love how much they are willing to go and do new things. They have never struggled with being shy or intimidated by new situations, and I think that is such a blessing. I just hope that their enthusiasm for school lasts all year.

Swim Lessons

Ooh, Cold Water

On the Kickboard

With her Teacher

Waiting His Turn

Off the Diving Board

Off the Diving Board

We started swim lessons this week. Both kids have done really well which is a huge change from last year when the pool was met with shrieks and screams. I am so proud that they have (literally and figuratively) jumped in with both feet.

Last Day of School

Summer is officially here. Yesterday was the last day of school and the kids are out for the summer. The kids have had such a good year – they had amazing teachers and they have both grown and learned so much throughout the year. We officially have no more babies in our house. Next year we will have a preschooler (instead of going to Parents’ Day Out) and a kindergartener. They even look completely different. Here’s a comparison of how much they’ve grown throughout the year:

That was the first day of school compared to yesterday. I am amazed at what a difference nine months makes.

The kids and I have big plans for doing a lot of fun things this summer – visiting family and friends, going to the library, the museum, having picnics. I more aware of how quickly time goes by and I’m hoping to take advantage of the down time that summer allows. I just want to hang out with my kids before school begins all over again.

I Heart Matching

It’s a little nerdy, but I love when my kids match. I remember thinking we were so fancy when my mom made me and my sister matching dresses, and now, for reasons I don’t fully understand, I love making my own children coordinate with each other.

The thing is, it’s hard to find matching clothes for the boy-girl combination. Much to my delight, I found something along those lines, so this is what my children spent their Memorial Day in:

Needless to say, one day they will tell their therapist all about their mom’s weird obsession with coordinated clothes. Until then, I’m still on the hunt for those elusive boy-girl matching outfits.

Our Sociological Experiment

On Sunday night we had some visitors at our house. At about 10:30 (two hours after bedtime) I was sitting in bed doing my Bible study and the door opened. In walked two strangers.

“Hi. I’m Bruno and this is Moon-O and we’re here to do your dishes. Here’s some money, ma’am, so that we can clean your kitchen for you.” They each handed me a fistful of change and started walking out the door. That’s when Matt intercepted them.

We tried to reason with them, explaining that we had church the next morning and that everyone needed to go to sleep. “But we just don’t like to sleep! It’s so much fun to stay awake!” That’s when we came up with our social experiement. We told them that since we had nowhere to be on Monday, they could stay up as late as they wanted on Sunday night. After they were tucked in bed, Matt and I took bets on how long the next night would last. After all, they are three and five, and with no nap on Sunday, certainly they would poop out by 11:30.

Sunday night, they were so excited. They bathed, got in their pjs, read books, and got ready to stay up. By 11 p.m., I couldn’t take it anymore and I fell asleep. Matt came to bed around midnight. At 12:30 I got up to tell them that they couldn’t do fuse-beads in the living room. By 1:30 a.m. I talked them into watching TV with the volume real low in our dark room, with their heads on their pillows. By 1:45 they were asleep.

1:45 a.m.!!! I was shocked. Who knew they could last that long?

So, the result of our experiment proved that our kids can outlast us with no problem. Maybe we are getting old; maybe they are young and full of energy. But, last night Moon-O and Bruno went to sleep at their regular bedtime.

Outtakes

Because one of the joys of motherhood is how much my kids make me laugh.