I got a voice mail message today from Abby's piano teacher who called just to say how proud she was of Abby. She said that she was so proud of the progress Abby's been making on her piano piece (she's doing a double duet- 4 people/2 pianos). She knows that Abby is new to this kind of playing and says she sees Abby really learning and progressing each week. She said she not only is proud of Abby but that she is happy for her too because she can see that Abby enjoys it and because Abby is "getting it" and learning the new stuff each week. I'm so proud of her!!! It wasn't the first time her teacher has talked about how impressed she is with Abby's consistency. Over the summer, the teacher said to me that most kids in the summer, slip off, but Abby has been consistant in her learning, practicing, and progression. Yay! This teacher is super expensive, but I really think this is making a difference in Abby's piano by having her.
As a side note, when people hear Abby play, many people will remark about what a good player she is and add that she is really talented. Keep up the hard/good work Abby! :)
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Dates with the kids
One thing I really wanted to do with the kids before the summer ended was do individual dates with the kids. Unfortunately, Ian went into the hospital with PCP (pneumonia) a few weeks before school started and was there for 2 weeks. That in and of itself was quiet the experience in many ways. For now, I'll address the kid dates that were delayed due to unexpected events. So I was getting sad about the fact that I wasn't able to do a lot of things with the kids this summer that I would've liked, including their one on one dates that I had promised them. Luckily, the weekend before school started, after Ian had been home a few days, my mom came on a Friday night to help put kids down while I took Abby on her date to the movies to see "Smurfs". The next day, after I put Ayla down for a nap, I took Caleb miniature golfing. It was a pretty quick date, but we had fun. It was a super hot day so we went and got slurpies before returning home. There was extra time and Ayla was still asleep, so I took Eli for a bike ride to the Yogofina place. He rode his 2 wheel bike the whole way there and back and didn't complain. I know he loved it and so did I! I was soo soo happy that I was able to have those dates with my kids before school started. It may seem like a small thing, but I really needed that time with the kids probably, just as much as they needed it too.
But now we've got some expectations to keep up with. Round 2 of dates with the kids. Caleb wanted to go get frozen yogurt so we went while Abby was at piano and Eli was at Hudsons. Ian met us there so I got to be in on it this time. Then Eli had his date with Ian to get ice cream cones at Baskin Robins. Ian mentioned that Eli really loved doing that with him. Eli asked if they could do this all the time. It meant a lot to Ian and from the sound of it, it really meant a lot for Eli to have that one on one time with Ian. Abby's turn is next.... what to do? I think it will be a date with Ian to get Jamba Juice.
Caleb is thinking that these dates will be happening every day, so it might be a challenge helping him to understand how this date sharing thing will work. All of the kids seem to be overly concerned with "what's fair". That is a frustrating part of this, but hopefully with time it will work itself out. I am definitely enjoying the evolution of these dates with the kids. I love them so much!
But now we've got some expectations to keep up with. Round 2 of dates with the kids. Caleb wanted to go get frozen yogurt so we went while Abby was at piano and Eli was at Hudsons. Ian met us there so I got to be in on it this time. Then Eli had his date with Ian to get ice cream cones at Baskin Robins. Ian mentioned that Eli really loved doing that with him. Eli asked if they could do this all the time. It meant a lot to Ian and from the sound of it, it really meant a lot for Eli to have that one on one time with Ian. Abby's turn is next.... what to do? I think it will be a date with Ian to get Jamba Juice.
Caleb is thinking that these dates will be happening every day, so it might be a challenge helping him to understand how this date sharing thing will work. All of the kids seem to be overly concerned with "what's fair". That is a frustrating part of this, but hopefully with time it will work itself out. I am definitely enjoying the evolution of these dates with the kids. I love them so much!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
1st day of Kindergarten
Ayla is now 19 months old. I ended up putting Ayla into nursery a couple weeks early because Ian wasn't able to take her and neither was I since I teach primary during the 2nd hour of church. She loved it. What made it easy for her to go was that she saw Charlotte Williams (Hudson's little sister). Ayla ran to Charlotte. It was so cute. No tears. BUT... 3 weeks ago, things changed. Ayla was fine at first but then just wouldn't stop crying. So the teachers brought her down to me. The next week, I walked Ayla into the nursery room and Ayla went crazy, crazy. She immediately started REALLY crying and pulling me towards the door. So I took her with me to teach my class. Ayla didn't stop crying though. She cried just about the entire time of my lesson. So this last Sunday, I put Ayla down for a nap RIGHT before we left for church. She only woke up 30 minutes before church got out. So it was a good thing!
Ayla is a little parrot. The kids all have her saying stuff all the time. Sometimes I worry Ayla will get worn out from all the requests, but I just let it go. Ayla doesn't seem to mind and it actually is teaching her how to say lots of new things. Today, Collin came over for dinner and it was the first time Ayla said his name. She wouldn't stop saying it though. Still, super cute.
Ayla is a little dare devil on slides. She will say ready, set, go and blast down a very fast slide- over and over and over again. Eli and Caleb like to race her going up the steps and then down the slide either next to her or chasing her down a twisty slide. They do this a lot while we wait for Abby during her soccer practices.
At night, when Ayla's having a hard time going to sleep, we'll hear her call Abby's name repeatedly (Abby will be in bed reading or trying to go to sleep). It's super cute. Ayla will change her intonations as she calls for Abby. It can last a long time (like right now it's been going on for about 25 minutes--so far).
Ayla was taking all my credit cards out of my wallet during Sacrament meeting today and then dropped them on the ground. She went to pick them all up and kept saying to herself, "Ayla Jane"...in a tone that Ian and I will use when she's done something wrong. It was hilarious to hear her sweetly scold herself.
Ayla is just really talking up a storm in general. I'm amazed lately at how many things I want to tell everyone that she's saying. Like "excuse me". She says it totally appropriately and all the time. If you're in her chair and she wants you to move, she says, "excuse me". She even said it to a stranger as she was helping me push the stroller. Ian was saying, over and over, the other day, "I love you!" and Ayla responded casually, "I know, I know." With all the new things she's saying, her new sentences, concepts she's getting, etc. we just want to eat her up! This stage is so fun and rewarding. It's also soo sad because we won't remember it like we know it now. And it's so cute and wonderful, we don't want to ever forget this age or this little person just the way she is right now! That's true for all of our kids from the time they were babies to where they are right now too.
Eli lost his 2nd tooth about a week before school started. It got really loose one afternoon while I was home for a few hours from visiting Ian in the hospital. He did loose it that night while Ian and I were gone and Susan was here. Eli lost his first tooth a few months prior while at the dentist. He asked them to pull it so they did. His permanent tooth was growing in back of the baby tooth making the tooth in front only slightly loose.
Eli has started his first year at 2 things! KINDERGARTEN and Flag Football. He's doing great at both. When we've played football together or as a family, Eli has always been super agressive and also had a good arm when throwing the ball. When it came to decide between soccer and football, he picked football. I thought he would do great at it too. I didn't realize there would be so much to learn and pay attention to with the flag football. It is a little over his head, but he is really enjoying it. It's fun to see him try to grab the flags and even run with the ball when it's been handed off to him. His very first game, he got the ball and ran the wrong way down the field. A classic thing to retell as he gets older. :)
So Kindergarten- Eli has adjusted sooooo easily. He just loves making new friends and is not afraid to make friends either. One of his first homework assignments was to write down the name of 5 friends from school. He listed 5 and 2 of them were John Henry and Roy. It turns out that both of those boys were on Hudson's soccer team. It seems like we are able to make friends because people know Christina and Hudson. The first day, Eli wanted to run to his line all by himself at first. Then he wanted me to stay, then he wanted me to go. He just wasn't sure, but confident each time he changed his mind. :) Then the first week or two of school he would shower me with blowing kisses. No other kids were doing this, but he would look and look for me to catch his kisses and for me to send them back to him too. He is adjusting so well to school. I'm just super amazed. I'm curious to talk to his teacher about how things are going. Eli was learning to read before he got to school. This summer he had started reading a few small books with help, but read one book all by himself. He is ripe for learning. He gets home from school and can't wait to do his homework (AND wants to play "Stack the States" or "Stack the Countries").
All the kids have been playing this new game that's on the Apple Computer, called "Stack the States". They all are learning their geography so so well. Ian did an inpromtu quiz with Eli the other night while we were at his parents house. What's the smallest state in the US? What states border California? What state is below New York? And below that state? Eli had ALL the answers. Pretty darn cool and amazing for his age. Caleb and Eli had started out the game learning the states by giving them names like "the Broccoli state"-Wisconsin, or the brush state- Oaklahoma, the glove state - Michigan, etc. The kids have seen movies that will mention a different state and they recognize it. It's pretty cool. We showed this game to Hudson and now the two of them can talk about states. It's cute. Eli has already amazed his primary teacher with his knowledge of the states too (and Hudson who is in the class too). We have the Wirig's to thank for turning us on to this game.
Abby finished the 6th Harry Potter book by the end of summer. I'm so proud of her. She is on the 7th, but I've put it on hold since she has to do a book report and she's not close to being done with it yet.
Abby turned 9 and it was on Monday- Labor Day this year. I took the kids to Lake Chabot. Abby and Eli rode their bikes while I pushed Caleb and Ayla in the double stroller. I had pulled my back just the Saturday before after a busy day and then lifted Ayla into her car seat. It wasn't totally healed when I took the kids to the lake but figured I would be all right if I was careful. Not smart. I TOTALLY pulled it worse than I have ever pulled it. I think the only way I was able to make it back was because of the great shocks in the stroller and the adrenaline that was pumping through me as I chased Abby down who had ridden to far off ahead of me. I barely got the bikes/strollers in the car. By the time I got home, I could not even stand without extreme pain. Susan came and helped make Abby's b-day dinner and even stayed most of the week to help out. My mom came one night too which was nice and super helpful. Abby wanted Orange Chicken the night of her actual b-day and I already had all the fixings, but Susan cooked it and put the whole dinner and dessert on. I don't know what I would've done without her. My back hurt so bad. Luckily, we had a family party at the Farr's house on Saturday too. Collin made his famous ribs and we had a great big meal. Vicki's family was there and so was Christian. Abby had quite the 9th b-day. On top of all that, Christian and Collin came and took Abby out to lunch on her birthday and then shopping for a new outfit. This was a huge help on her b-day too.
Abby even had a b-day party this year. We do friend b-day parties every other year and she was due to have her party last year. We didn't do it because we had just moved here and didn't know anyone. So I felt like I really needed to let Abby have a party. But with Ian on disability, this was going to be tricky financially. Ian stayed in his room to avoid possible germs and we did the party here. Abby had 6 girls come over for dinner, charades, music, pedicures, and a movie ("What a Girl Wants"). It was low key, but turned out pretty good.
Abby is in 4th grade with Mrs. Perras. She's a bit more strict, but it seems like it will be a good change for Abby to learn from.
Abby is preparing for her new recital. She is really growing and doing well with her piano. She says she really enjoys it too. Abby is doing a duet with my mom and a four-some with some girls from the ward. I'm excited to hear how she does.
Ayla is a little parrot. The kids all have her saying stuff all the time. Sometimes I worry Ayla will get worn out from all the requests, but I just let it go. Ayla doesn't seem to mind and it actually is teaching her how to say lots of new things. Today, Collin came over for dinner and it was the first time Ayla said his name. She wouldn't stop saying it though. Still, super cute.
Ayla is a little dare devil on slides. She will say ready, set, go and blast down a very fast slide- over and over and over again. Eli and Caleb like to race her going up the steps and then down the slide either next to her or chasing her down a twisty slide. They do this a lot while we wait for Abby during her soccer practices.
At night, when Ayla's having a hard time going to sleep, we'll hear her call Abby's name repeatedly (Abby will be in bed reading or trying to go to sleep). It's super cute. Ayla will change her intonations as she calls for Abby. It can last a long time (like right now it's been going on for about 25 minutes--so far).
Ayla was taking all my credit cards out of my wallet during Sacrament meeting today and then dropped them on the ground. She went to pick them all up and kept saying to herself, "Ayla Jane"...in a tone that Ian and I will use when she's done something wrong. It was hilarious to hear her sweetly scold herself.
Ayla is just really talking up a storm in general. I'm amazed lately at how many things I want to tell everyone that she's saying. Like "excuse me". She says it totally appropriately and all the time. If you're in her chair and she wants you to move, she says, "excuse me". She even said it to a stranger as she was helping me push the stroller. Ian was saying, over and over, the other day, "I love you!" and Ayla responded casually, "I know, I know." With all the new things she's saying, her new sentences, concepts she's getting, etc. we just want to eat her up! This stage is so fun and rewarding. It's also soo sad because we won't remember it like we know it now. And it's so cute and wonderful, we don't want to ever forget this age or this little person just the way she is right now! That's true for all of our kids from the time they were babies to where they are right now too.
Eli lost his 2nd tooth about a week before school started. It got really loose one afternoon while I was home for a few hours from visiting Ian in the hospital. He did loose it that night while Ian and I were gone and Susan was here. Eli lost his first tooth a few months prior while at the dentist. He asked them to pull it so they did. His permanent tooth was growing in back of the baby tooth making the tooth in front only slightly loose.
Eli has started his first year at 2 things! KINDERGARTEN and Flag Football. He's doing great at both. When we've played football together or as a family, Eli has always been super agressive and also had a good arm when throwing the ball. When it came to decide between soccer and football, he picked football. I thought he would do great at it too. I didn't realize there would be so much to learn and pay attention to with the flag football. It is a little over his head, but he is really enjoying it. It's fun to see him try to grab the flags and even run with the ball when it's been handed off to him. His very first game, he got the ball and ran the wrong way down the field. A classic thing to retell as he gets older. :)
So Kindergarten- Eli has adjusted sooooo easily. He just loves making new friends and is not afraid to make friends either. One of his first homework assignments was to write down the name of 5 friends from school. He listed 5 and 2 of them were John Henry and Roy. It turns out that both of those boys were on Hudson's soccer team. It seems like we are able to make friends because people know Christina and Hudson. The first day, Eli wanted to run to his line all by himself at first. Then he wanted me to stay, then he wanted me to go. He just wasn't sure, but confident each time he changed his mind. :) Then the first week or two of school he would shower me with blowing kisses. No other kids were doing this, but he would look and look for me to catch his kisses and for me to send them back to him too. He is adjusting so well to school. I'm just super amazed. I'm curious to talk to his teacher about how things are going. Eli was learning to read before he got to school. This summer he had started reading a few small books with help, but read one book all by himself. He is ripe for learning. He gets home from school and can't wait to do his homework (AND wants to play "Stack the States" or "Stack the Countries").
All the kids have been playing this new game that's on the Apple Computer, called "Stack the States". They all are learning their geography so so well. Ian did an inpromtu quiz with Eli the other night while we were at his parents house. What's the smallest state in the US? What states border California? What state is below New York? And below that state? Eli had ALL the answers. Pretty darn cool and amazing for his age. Caleb and Eli had started out the game learning the states by giving them names like "the Broccoli state"-Wisconsin, or the brush state- Oaklahoma, the glove state - Michigan, etc. The kids have seen movies that will mention a different state and they recognize it. It's pretty cool. We showed this game to Hudson and now the two of them can talk about states. It's cute. Eli has already amazed his primary teacher with his knowledge of the states too (and Hudson who is in the class too). We have the Wirig's to thank for turning us on to this game.
Abby finished the 6th Harry Potter book by the end of summer. I'm so proud of her. She is on the 7th, but I've put it on hold since she has to do a book report and she's not close to being done with it yet.
Abby turned 9 and it was on Monday- Labor Day this year. I took the kids to Lake Chabot. Abby and Eli rode their bikes while I pushed Caleb and Ayla in the double stroller. I had pulled my back just the Saturday before after a busy day and then lifted Ayla into her car seat. It wasn't totally healed when I took the kids to the lake but figured I would be all right if I was careful. Not smart. I TOTALLY pulled it worse than I have ever pulled it. I think the only way I was able to make it back was because of the great shocks in the stroller and the adrenaline that was pumping through me as I chased Abby down who had ridden to far off ahead of me. I barely got the bikes/strollers in the car. By the time I got home, I could not even stand without extreme pain. Susan came and helped make Abby's b-day dinner and even stayed most of the week to help out. My mom came one night too which was nice and super helpful. Abby wanted Orange Chicken the night of her actual b-day and I already had all the fixings, but Susan cooked it and put the whole dinner and dessert on. I don't know what I would've done without her. My back hurt so bad. Luckily, we had a family party at the Farr's house on Saturday too. Collin made his famous ribs and we had a great big meal. Vicki's family was there and so was Christian. Abby had quite the 9th b-day. On top of all that, Christian and Collin came and took Abby out to lunch on her birthday and then shopping for a new outfit. This was a huge help on her b-day too.
Abby even had a b-day party this year. We do friend b-day parties every other year and she was due to have her party last year. We didn't do it because we had just moved here and didn't know anyone. So I felt like I really needed to let Abby have a party. But with Ian on disability, this was going to be tricky financially. Ian stayed in his room to avoid possible germs and we did the party here. Abby had 6 girls come over for dinner, charades, music, pedicures, and a movie ("What a Girl Wants"). It was low key, but turned out pretty good.
Abby is in 4th grade with Mrs. Perras. She's a bit more strict, but it seems like it will be a good change for Abby to learn from.
Abby is preparing for her new recital. She is really growing and doing well with her piano. She says she really enjoys it too. Abby is doing a duet with my mom and a four-some with some girls from the ward. I'm excited to hear how she does.
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