Sunday, December 01, 2013

Wish Lists

It's that time again.  Family and friends asking what the kids want for Christmas.  Personally, I would LOVE for them to NOT have a ton of stuff because they seem to actually play with what they have if they aren't overwhelmed with sheer volume.

I keep Amazon wish lists going year-round because every time the kids are in the store telling me that they want something I just tell them to 'add it to the list'.  I have an app on my phone where they can scan it and it adds it to the list automatically.  Some things on their lists are pretty random, but that is because they were asking for it that day.  By no means do they need everything on these lists!

ERIC'S WISH LIST (click)
Eric is wearing size 5 and wears a uniform to school and one of my best friends has 2 boys older than him so he has a ton of clothes from hand-me-downs.  He really doesn't need clothes, but I put his size here just in case you couldn't resist.

LILY'S WISH LIST (click)
Lily is wearing size 7.  Her school doesn't have a uniform but just keep in mind that it is hot here year-round. And I'm insistent that things be age appropriate.  She is tall and skinny so if you get her pants, make sure that they have an adjustable waist or are "slim".

ROSS'S WISH LIST (click)
Ross has never added anything to his list, I've put random things there just to have something.  He pretty much always could use a pair of dress pants 32/30 or a dress shirt 15.

SHELLEY'S WISH LIST (click)
I really don't need anything.  But because I'm the one in charge of the lists... I had to make my own too.




Wednesday, August 21, 2013

First Day of School

The week before school starts
Pre-K Orientation:
Eric was nervous.  He put on a good face for the camera, but there were a load of tears once we got inside.
2nd Grade Orientation:
On the way into the school to find her classroom Lily spotted some art on the wall that she did last year. That is hers at the bottom row. (It says Lawrence Lily... Ms Lawrence was her teacher last year)
Lily wasn't nervous at all.  She was super stoked.  She loves school and was excited that her best friend Ella (that is her in the striped skirt behind Lily) is in her class again this year.

Actual First Day





Everyone was awake, excited, dressed and ready on time.

 They look bored already.  On the first week we are allowed to walk them all the way into the classroom, after this week we'll have to just say goodbye at the outside door.
Lily never wavered.  She was excited all the way through.  No nerves at all.
There is 30 minutes between Lily's school's start time and Eric's so I have plenty of time to get from one to the other.  I was really worried about Eric because we'd seen so many tears at orientation, but he was tough.

Can't write his name yet, but he can at least identify it.
We walked him in and his teacher said hello and he said good morning in a nice loud, confident voice.  We hugged him and told him to have a good day and that we'd be back before lunch.  He said ok and no tears!  We couldn't believe it.  Then I went home and got a whole lotta sewing done.  I didn't even cry either!
At pickup Eric seemed fine.  The teacher told me that he cried a little when they were coming back inside from the playground asking for me.  She and I both just thought that he was confused thinking it was time to go home.  Well, once I got in the car, I realized that wasn't the case.  He told me his foot hurt and asked if he could he take his shoe off.  Knowing that they'd be full of sand, I helped him and found out that the tongue of one of his shoes was shoved down into the toe.  That is why he was crying for me.  As they leave the playground, they are told to take off their shoes and dump out the sand. He couldn't get his shoe back on right and wanted my help.  I asked him why he didn't ask the teacher and he said "because she's not you.  I need you, mommy" and oh boy did my tears start rolling!  I had to just buckle him and up and get in the car because I didn't want him to see me bawling over it.  We had explained so many times that the teachers would help him with anything he needed but I feel terrible that he was afraid to ask.  I know that is just gonna have to come with experience but it is hard to watch them go through something just to have to learn for themselves.
I remember that I peed my pants in kindergarten because I was afraid to ask the teacher because it wasn't my regular teacher and I didn't know her name.  It is such a vivid memory.  Of course, I made it through, and have become less shy, but I was hoping that my kids didn't inherit my fear of talking to people.
We spent the rest of the afternoon practicing taking our shoes off and on.

Tuesday, March 05, 2013

February... quick summary through pictures

Chef Lily made Bacon Bow-ties to take to a super bowl party

Lily woke up before everyone so that she could impress Ross on his birthday by getting herself ready for school

Icing Mustache for the birthday boy

Eric says he is a faster swimmer than Michael Phelps
taking advantage of the fact that we CAN go to the beach in February

Brandi brought over her wedding dress to play dress up

Eric got some tats

Rare night out with adults only

Saw Flogging Molly in concert
It is cold in Melbourne

Me and the kids on our way to Alexander's Eagle Scout ceremony

quick stop to take pictures with some roadside Americana
Alexander is an Eagle Scout

Family photo opp
Sandy steals kisses

temps in the 40s (don't worry, it is a hot tub, I'm not that bad of a parent!)

Saw a huge Christmas village (yes, in February)

one of my plush monsters was published in Stuffed! magazine

Eric is big enough to switch to a booster seat.  No more baby seat!

We went to the Carnival

They tell us that this ride has been in use since the 40s

Another night at the fair.  Lily kept telling me she felt fine, but wasn't fooling anyone.

Eric's first roller coaster

The sign I made for Brandi's dirt cake 

Brandi's bathroom "crime scene"

Brandi's bathmat

me stealing Ducka again

slip n' slide at Brandi's birthday party

she caught me stealing Ducka. doh.

I am not sure why they have stickers on their foreheads

Pirate ship at the Boca Raton Children's museum

King of the fort

Bank Teller

doing some grocery shopping