Jack's First Day of Kindergarten

It's so funny, the difference between parents with only 1 or 2 children and those of us with like 100 ( o.k. it feels like 100 sometimes).  Maybe it's just that Jack is very active and loud most of the time or maybe I'm just not a mushy sentimental girl. Whatever the reason, the first day of Kindergarten was a very happy day in our house! Jack has been looking forward to it ALL summer long! He even was out of control excited when I brought home a few new shirts for school, more excited than if it were a  new superhero action figure.
He has been cooped up most of the summer since it is to hot to play outside. All Day Kindergarten is truly a blessing. He manages to focus and listen and even sit still. He just loves learning and especially ART.
It's been oddly quiet around here this last week. Nolan is adjusting to playing by himself pretty well. He has harnessed his imaginitive skills and likes to read to Mona.

Here are a few pics of the Big Day.

Getting his backpack all ready.

Britton, who started 11th grade this year *Yikes, was already at school.
Nolan, Jack and Mona

My big Kindergartner!

Walking the 3 very long blocks to school in the 100 degree heat.

Waiting for the Bell

A " real" playground

Jack was very excited about having his own cubby for his stuff

Completely fed up with me at this point.

Mona's 1st birthday!

Happy First Birthday Mona ! Every mother says " I can't believe my baby's already ONE!" So I'm not going to say it...... I'm not! ;-)

Isn't she adorable?  Haa Haa, on a side note, Jack and Nolan say adorable sometimes referring to Mona or when I look especially nice, it's pretty cute. Jack just started Kindergarten and we asked him if he made any new friends. He said " Yes, Sarah, she's adorable!" ;-)

So anyhow, for Mona's 1st birthday we had a little party at home with Strawberry Cupcakes and gifts. Britton played Happy Birthday to You on his guitar for her. She got a cute little musical "jewelry box" with lipstick, perfume and a comb. It's the girliest thing I could find and she loves it! ;-) She also got a couple of new cute outfits. I can't believe my baby is already ONE!! I had to do it.

Mona is such a sweet baby. She is so happy most of the time and loves her brothers. She isn't crawling yet which concerns us. The doctor says she looks fine but sent for a baby physical therapist to come out to our house to evaluate her. Yesterday, a physical and a developmental therapist came out to our house and played with her for about an hour or so. They were both really impressed with her fine motor skills, speech and cognitive abilities, giving her above average scores. Her gross motor ( crawling, walking etc.) however are not up to where they should be (obviously). She rolls everywhere she wants to go but won't crawl.

So, she will get baby bootcamp training once a week for a while until she shapes up. ;-) The physical therapist says she really looks great and with a few sessions she is confident she will take off and be fine. She taught us a few great tips on how to get her to exercises her core tummy and oblique muscles which are whimpy right now. She already is showing improvement! GoBaby BootCamp!

So, I thought I would jot down a few of her milestones and favorite things that she's mastered recently.

Mona's vocabulary is impressive for a 12 month old. O.k. I know I'm a biased mommy but the therapists were impressed too. ;-)

• 
  
  Mamma & Mom
• 
  
  Dad
• 
  
  Dog
• 
  
  Duck
• 
  
  Bug
• 
  
  Door
• 
  
  Bah fy ( butterfly)
• 
  
  Book
• 
  
  Up
• 
  
  Eye ( She can point to most body parts when asked to)
• 
  
  More (sign language)
• All Done ( sign language)

Mona loves mommy's cooking and has always refused to eat the jarred baby food junk. Her favorites are:

• Pasta alla Carbonara ( pasta with tempered eggs, spinach and Canadian bacon)
• Cauliflower Bisque
• Hudsput ( mixed smashed veggies)
• Brown Rice and Collard Greens
• Salmon, Rice and Greens
• Fish
• Ginger Chicken
• Tomatoes
• Baked Potatoes with Cottage Cheese and tomatoes
• Blueberries, Bananas and Applesauce

She does not like:

• Eggs
• Plums
• Cheerios
• Strawberries

Mona's favorite things to do are:

• Going swimming and taking a tub
• listing and dancing to music
• Reading her baby books. Her favorite is the "Teddy Bear" Touch and Feel book I just got her.
• Looking in mirrors and giving herself kisses
• Playing with her music boxes
• Patty Cake
• Giving Eskimo Kisses
• Playing Peek-a-Boo She covers her face with anything she comes across and tries to get our attention to play the game with her.

Victory Dance

We think it's important to teach the basic principals of good sportsmanship in our home......

turn on your volume and click to view full screen for the full effect.

Nolan. 3 years old.

Summer Fun In the Cool Indoors

What do you do when it's 115 degrees outside? You stay indoors as much as possible! The only problem is that the natives get restless, real restless. Bad things happen when you have 4 hot, bored, cranky kids cooped up in the house for an extended period of time. So we try to make little excursions several times a week. We go to story time at the library, fun activities at our local community center, we swim..... we swim some more. So, now what to do with the other 15 hours of the day?  In comes Super Mom! (that's me)

New crafts are a lot of fun because, well... they're new. Anything new is exciting when your 4. I learned long ago that it doesn't have to be a new toy. Your fun is only limited to your imagination. Well, my creativity only goes so far, then I have to enlist the help of fellow mommy's. Actually, my friend Jason gave me this idea. ;-)

The boys were really, really, really excited to build towers out of spagetti sticks and stale mini marshmellows.

It took up a good 30 minutes of the morning!!!! For those of you who don't have kids, that is like 7 hours in mommy time!

What You'll Need:

A small handful of spagetti noodles.

A couple of bored kids....

and some mini marshmellows!

Of course, the best part is eating your towers when you get bored!

Super Hero By Day, Mommy's Baby Boy by Night

     Nolan got these sunglasses from a birthday party several weeks ago. He popped out the lenses shortly thereafter and has been wearing them every single day since. He magically turns into "Batman" when he adorns them. Don't make the mistake of calling him Nolan if he's got his SuperHero glasses on! He can usually be found running at the speed of lightning up and down the halls of Gothem, otherwise known as our house. He can leap tall buildings in a single bound ( Legos ) and soar through the air gracefully ( off the couch) when he has his trusty cape on ( his "white blankie" ).

But by night....... he will always be mommy's baby boy.

Happy Valentines Day!

I took these pictures of baby Mona on Valentines day just because she happened to be looking so stinking cute! Oh how I love my camera.... and photoshop!

Covet Antiqued Copper Charm Necklace GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Covet Antiqued Copper Charm Necklace GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Roxanna Illuminated Perfume $30 Gift Certificate GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Roxanna Illuminated Perfume $30 Gift Certificate GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

This is what I found waiting for me when I pulled my covers back at the end of a very long day, courtesy of Jack Nathan Wilson. I almost had a heart attack! It was dark and I pulled back the covers and was half into bed when I noticed it. Jack sleeps in our bed for naps so him and Nolan don't play and rough house during nap time. I have found many toys, sand, cookie crumbs and other treasures and tidbits under the covers before but this one take the prize! He loves to put things in various odd places. Everything is either a treasure chest or a suitcase. My jewelry boxes are filled with small toys, my jewelry is in the batmobile, his matchbox cars are to be found in my salad spinner, every last sock in the house was in the entryway table, bath toys are in the sandbox, shovels are in the tub, dinosaurs are in cereal boxes etc. etc. Never a dull moment.

This kid has one BIG appetite! Every 10 minutes he says "Mommy, I think I'm starving." Everything is " I think" I think I'm not tired, I think my owie is better, I think I want to go to the park. I am utterly amazed at the endless list of foods you will willingly eat. I am sure that no other child anywhere has such a wide or healthy for that matter diet! These are just a few of the things you love to eat:

Olives, green and black ( a favorite)

gazpacho - tomatoe juice with pureed onions and other vegetables.

anchovies

orange peels, lemons

Ice Cubes

cottage cheese

all nuts

pickled beets

Salad and ALL vegatables I've given you so far even fennel, radishes, avacados (a favorite) squash, collard greens, kale, broccoli, raw bell peppers etc.

Fish, salmon.. even asian stlye w mustard & soy sauce, & white fish with stewed tomatoes.

Tomatoes ( "bahmatoes")

The list is endless. In fact, the only thing that I can think of that you don't like is cheese.