Back to School

Well, it's that time of year again.  Back to school.  We've had a rather long break since LJ was born at the beginning of April and though I've been dragging my feet a bit to get started, it was time.  I was ready for more structure and routine, as well as, daily activities to keep these little bodies busy!!!  I'll admit I sometimes struggle with wanting everything to be 'perfect' and I try so very hard to make it all fun.  But, truth be told it won't always (or ever?) be perfect and we all know not all of it is fun.  There comes a time to just do it! So, we started school yesterday with...

 a first grader

 a preschooler

 and a baby school-er 

(the kids thought LJ's 'Baby School' sign was hilarious!).

I can't decide which picture to print for our Project Life album...thoughts?

 Or maybe I'll just print this one!

 The day started with a school supply scavenger hunt (an idea I'd seen elsewhere in the blogosphere).  Both L and I Man had a great time finding their pencils with the toothpaste, gluesticks with the extra toilet paper, and scissors with the movies (among other things)!  As an added bonus, there was exercise (supplies were hidden on 3 levels of our house), reading practice (L read the clues to I Man) and problem solving (what makes things colorful?  where do we keep the toothpaste?). Win!  

 After we had rounded up all of the supplies we put our new scissors and glue straight to work making a summer timeline (again, not my original idea...surprise, surprise!).  This was a fun project to review all of the fun we've had this summer (not to mention reviewing the concept of timelines and chronological order) and I was happy to hear both kids, say 'wow, we did a lot this summer!'

 {I made a collage picture of the timeline for you in case you're interested.  Most of the 'events' we were able to find in magazines and just cut and paste.  A few L drew.  Click on the picture to enlarge.}

 And then it was on to reading,

 writing, 

 and arithmetic baby school!  

It turned out to be a great first day!

Here's hoping the rest of the year goes as well.  And if not, I'm holding onto Galations 6:9 with both hands!  ;)

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

My dad invited us to a Twins game and of course we said, "Yes!"  It was the first time any of us had been to Target Field and the first baseball game ever for L and I Man (LJ stayed with my Mom).  It was a beautiful night for baseball and the kids took it all in.  They enjoyed the wave (it made it around several times!), the free magnet board (which kept them occupied from the 2nd inning on after the novelty wore off), the seventh inning stretch (L had the song memorized and kept asking me when we could sing it), the hot dogs, popcorn, dip n dots and fireworks, oh my!

Thanks for the fun Dad and Holly!!

Art Show

Just in case you missed it (and you all did).  Here's a peek at the Art Show from the end of L's art class. She had a great time and the projects they did were impressive!  She loved art class this year and though the Art Show time (1:30 on a Thursday afternoon) wasn't convenient for most.  She did have four people show up...

  

See?  L and her four guests (I'm in the window's reflection).

I Man took a short art class (3 days) as well and made some fun stuff, too...

He came home the first day with this and told me simply, "it's not a porcupine" because he just couldn't remember that it was a hedgehog.  :)

Conversations

While talking about Mother's Day and Father's Day:

I Man:  "When is Kid's day?

While playing with his Super Heroes:

I Man:  "Flash and Lex Luger are having a playdate."

Me:  "I thought Lex was a bad guy."

I Man:  "I'm pretending he's being nice."

After a night at cowboy themed VBS:

I Man:  "Even sheriffs need sleep!"

While watching the toad she caught:

Me:  "Why's he doing that?"

L:  "He's not very smart.  That's why I didn't name him Smarty Pants."

I Man:  "Look, L, there's a spider...run for your life!!!!!"

After spotting a bunny in the yard and trying to 'catch it' while I watched from the window without her knowing:

L:  "Mom, my eyes hurt.  Can I have a carrot?"

Me:  "We really shouldn't feed the rabbits."

L:  "Oh" With a look of shock and a shameful grin.

L:  "The sink looks Egyptian."

Me:  "Excuse me?"

L:  "It looks like it's wearing one of those things Egyptians used to wear on their heads."

D and I:  Laughter
Me:  "Where'd you learn that?"
L:  "Wild Kratts.  I can walk like an Egyptian, too!"
D and I:  More laughter

I Man:  "Bad guys are only out at night so that people can't see them, right?"
A brief discussion about how both God and Dad will keep us safe from bad guys and we don't have to worry about them.
I Man:  "Mom, is Dad like Wolverine?"
Me:  "What do you mean?"
I Man:  "That library book says Wolverine can hear like a bat.  Can Dad hear like that?"

Four Months

Our baby boy is four months old today and I find myself thinking *already?!* and *it's about time!* simultaneously!  :)

At Four Months LJ:

weighs 15 pounds, 14 ounces

measures 24 inches 

eats 5 bottles a day every 3.5 - 4 hours and typically goes 10 hours between feedings at night (9:30pm - 7:30am, usually)

naps 3 - 4 times a day, in the crib (yay!) or the swing in his room

sleeps 9ish hours at night swaddled in the bassinet in our room (though still not without me giving him his pacifier and/or turning on the vibrator in his bassinet a few times, most nights, sigh, yawn)

does giggle, grab dangling toys (and anything else he can get his hands on!), babble, chew on hands, blow bubbles, nap without being swaddled, sit in the Bumbo, like a burp cloth by his face to nap

Snapshots from Month Four:

(just ignore the peanut butter on L's face, I'll have to talk with the nanny about this, ahem!)

LJ doesn't sleep the best during his evening nap making it sometimes impossible to make it to bedtime without another snooze in our arms...

tongue out and all!

LJ, poolside, during the big kids' swimming lessons.

Grandpa was making him laugh.

Yes, he sits in a pink Bumbo (I Man did, too and he survived!  ;)).  Oh, and his toes...he is constantly scrunching them up like that!

 While LJ seems to have zero interest in rolling over, he does use his feet and legs to push himself backwards.  I placed his head directly under those fish and came back later to find him way over there!  I was surprised...

 he was quite proud of himself.