N's Kindergarten Adventures: Day 2

Another successful drop-off!  You walked right into class  and charged to your seat, where Sr. Mosqueda asked for an "abraso oso" (bear hug) and told you he had "trabajar" (work) for you.  You forgot to hug/kiss me goodbye.  It stung a little bit, but I chalked it up how happy/excited/well-adjusted you are.  (But did make a mental note to school you on the importance of proper mother-daughter goodbye etiquette later)

Eli, again, called for "Suzy" until you spotted us at the  pick-up spot after school.  You were less excited today.

You said your day was "half good, half bad", then divulged that the "bad" was that Kambrie had informed you that you were not her best friend.  I asked you how many friends you had, and you replied, "Lots and lots."  And I explained that it didn't really matter if you were best friends, as long as you had good friends.  You agreed, and decided you didn't want to have a best friend, because it might hurt your other friends feelings that they weren't the "best".  I told you I thought that was a good idea.

Paris moved seats (the "bad boy" from the first day of school was moved into her seat), leaving just you and one other little girl (Melissa) and three boys (Sebastian, "Naughty Jeremiah", and another boy whose name you can't remember) at your "Green" table.

Today you made a new friend, Lyla.  She asked you to play with her at recess.  You told her you had to tie your shoes first, and as you bent down to tie them, you noticed another little girl sitting all alone, with her head in her hands.  After you finished with your shoes, you went over and asked her if she wanted to play.  She brightened up, and said, "Yes!"  She said you could call her KK, and the three of you played on the slides together.

You drew a picture of Mr. Mosqueda's house today.  You made it red because "red is his favorite color".

You also made a card for Mommy and Daddy with cut-outs of your hands and a little poem about us kissing your hands in the morning, so you could hold them to your cheek during the day (in case you get sad and miss us).

We laughed because that is just what Mommy and Daddy did yesterday (Daddy kissed one hand, and Mommy kissed the other, and we called them your "Kissing Hands" to use in case you missed us)

Norah's First Day of Kindergarten

Norah, today was your first day of school!  This marks your first time away from home (not counting time with the grandparents).  You woke early--before I even came in to get you.


You dressed yourself (making good use of your newly acquired shoe tying skill!), and ate cheerios with strawberries for breakfast.  Well, you at least sat at the table with a bowl of cheerios and strawberries...you didn't eat much.

You confided that  you were nervous and "not sure" if you could "do this".  We prayed together, just the two of us, while I held you in my lap in your bedroom floor.  I showed you your packed backpack--where your spare change of clothes were, your water bottle, and Hello Kitty lunch box (fully packed, complete with a 'banana gram").  You listened patiently.  We took LOTS of pictures.  You were patient through that, too.



Daddy, Mommy, and Eli all came to school with you.  We parked up the road from your school, and walked you inside. 

You were excited to see that a new lizard baby had hatched just last night!  We laughed that it was his first day of school, too.  We walked you back to Sr. Mosqueda's room.  (WAY back in the back of the school!)








You walked right in, hung up your backpack, and went to your seat.  Sr. Mosqueda had you start to work, right away, on a picture.  

Mommy shed more than a few tears that morning.  I was so proud of you for being so brave, but sad to be away from you.  Eli was very sad when we got back into the car without you.  Thankfully, we had planned to meet with some friends (including his best buddy, Isaac), so he cheered up after a little while.

When we returned to pick you up in the afternoon, Eli and I waited for you under the trees until your class came out.  Eli kept calling out, "Suzy!  Suzy!"  When I asked him who he was calling, he explained that that was his "secret name" for you.

You were SO happy at the end of the day!  Contrary to what everyone told me to expect, your energy level was high.  You played happily with Eli until Daddy got home from work. The first words out of your mouth were, "All I can say, is today was a GREAT day.  That's all I can say."  Then you proceeded to tell me every, single detail of your day (just like I had hoped you would!) for the next 2 hours.

Things I remember from our conversation:
You LOVED that I wrote a note on your banana...but didn't eat the banana, because you've decided you don't really like bananas (even though I had asked what fruit you wanted in your lunch, and you said, "whatever fruit you want me to have...I like them all!")

Sr. Mosqueda told the class a story about a purple monster with 4 arms, who went to school, but did everything wrong and got into lots of trouble.  Finally, the teacher told him, "That's enough!" and told him he had to leave...but then the monster revealed that he'd never been to school before and didnt' know how to act.  So, the teacher and all the students helped teach him how to behave, and he was good from then on.

You had the "Buenos Dias" song stuck in your head, and sang it all evening.

The best part of your day was "nap time" (much to my shock, coming from the girl who has BEGGED me for "N-O- N-A-P" for the past 6 months)

Your first "new" friend was a girl named Paris.  She sat caddy-corner from your desk.  She has blonde hair.

A little boy named Jeremiah got into "lots of trouble"...and you were sure that he "got an 'N' in conduct" (this after we had threatened you that you'd better always get good conduct grades 'or else')

You didn't remember who you sat with at lunch.  (Literally, you weren't just dodging the question) And Sr. Mosqueda "ate his lunch standing up!"

You went to music with "Mrs. Nice" and computer with Aunt Lynne (who, we've instructed you to call "Mrs. Koenning" or "Mrs. K" while at school)

You didn't play with anyone at recess because you were afraid they would tell you "no" if you asked them if they wanted to play, and  you didn't understand the rules of the games they were playing.  I decided not to worry about this because it was SO evident by your mood that you had a great day, this didn't spoil it (or even seem to bother you, as you explained that you had fun at recess playing on the slide).

You babbled incessantly in non-sensible (Spanish-sounding) garble for much of the afternoon. (Much of which was in the form of self-composed songs)  I later learned that this is normal--just like when  babies babble as they are learning their first language.

We started baths at 7pm, read stories (we started "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" which you were VERY excited about), and turned out the light by 8pm.  I'm pretty sure you were dead to the world within about 3 minutes.

Norah's First Day of Kindergarten!

We officially have a kindergartener in our midst! After buying the supplies, shopping for clothes, attending "Meet the Teacher", and talking about her pending venture into the public school system, she has officially arrived!

She woke up at 6:30, of her own accord (15 minutes earlier than I planned to wake her), got dressed all by herself in the outfit she had picked out the night before, and promptly requested cheerios with cut up strawberries for breakfast.  She confided that she was nervous, so we prayed together in her bedroom, and that was the last I heard about nerves.

After taming her unruly bed-head, we went outside for a few pictures...Eli (who was still under the impression that this was his first day of school, too) was also happy to oblige.

The whole family piled into the car and drove to N's school, where, we of course, had to take a few more pictures.  (Thankfully, everyone else was doing the same thing, so we fit right in)

I managed to hold back the tears while I watched her walk up the sidewalk, sandwiched between, and holding on tightly to the hands of her Daddy, and best buddy/brother. 

 (Although, I come very close to smacking my sweet husband when he started humming the tune of the one song he knew would make me fall to pieces, just to spite me)

When we got to her classroom, she hung her backpack on a hook, walked right in like she owned the place, and headed straight to the desk with her name on it.  (This was the point at which I finally lost the grip I had on my emotions, so I stayed in the hallway, thankful for the warm, little hand I still held in mine) Jason followed her into class and took a few more photos before Norah informed him, "I'd like to watch you leave now, Daddy."  Eli was pretty sad on the car ride home, but he perked up quickly when I informed him that we were going to meet with some friends at Chick-fi- a  for breakfast.  (So thankful for my "First Day of School Mommy Support Group!!)

At the end of the day, Eli and were waiting outside to meet her and hear all about her day.  I had to laugh when Eli first saw her come outside, as he started shouting, "Susie!  Susie!  Over here, Susie!"  I asked him who he was calling to, and he smiled his most mischievous smile, and informed me that Susie was his "secret name" for his sister.  The first words out of her mouth were "All I'm gonna say is, today was a GREAT day!  A GREAT day...that is all I'm gonna say."  (Except that isn't all she said at all.  She gave me exactly the kind of recap I would have wished for--every, single detail, in-depth.  She was bubbly and energetic, and so proud to be a kindergartener.  (And her momma was pretty proud of her, too!) 

The One Where I Brag on Norah's Batting

Norah's admitted favorite part of playing t-ball has been batting.  She is currently 6 for 7 at hitting coach's pitches in games.  (With just one game left to go) Here are 2 of her successful at-bats (courtesy of Mom R, videographer and Eli-watching= multi-tasking extraordinaire).  Note: The giggle at the end of the first clip is Jason (he was realizing that N was 5 for 5 after that hit and pretty proud of his little girl)

The second clip is Norah's best hit of the season, thus-far.  Sadly, she ended her perfect hitting streak (ie--had to hit off the tee) after this one...but on the bright side, she was able to walk away from the game more proud of the hit than she was disappointed of the miss.  We'll see if she can get back into the groove for her last game of the season tonight!

From the Mouthes of Babes: Circus Edition

Ringling Brothers came to Reed Arena this weekend, so we thought it was high time that Eli experience his first circus.  We bought tickets with some of our friends, and had a great time.  The circus was, as always, exciting (and at times so stressful--I thought I was going to have a heart attack FOR the guy on the high wire), but my favorite part was definitely watching and listening to the kids' take on things.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the night:

En route to the show J and I overheard this exchange in the back of the car:

E: Can you ride on a baby tiger?

N: No, you can't ride on a baby tiger, unless it's at least 30 years old.

Norah: (at first the sight of the tightrope walkers): Mommy, why are those boys wearing sparkles?


Eli: (upon seeing the oriental knive diver produce a black, blindfold/face-sock from at his waistband and hold it up for the crowd to see) "Momma!? Is that his underwear!?" (This, of course was exclaimed at a volume level of about 110)

At the close of the show, the ringmaster put a beautiful blonde woman into a cage, then covered it with a sheet.  After briefly pausing to achieve optimum dramatic effect, he pulled the sheet away to reveal a massive Great Dane.  Eli was utterly astonished, and shouted in accusatory disbelief, "He turned her into a DOG!?!" (as if to say, "Did anyone else just see that!?  Are they just going to let him get away with it!?")

And finally, after the confetti popping, show-stopper of-a-finale, when the performers took their last bow, Eli shouted at the top of his lungs with total sincerity (and no prompting), "THANK YOU!!!"  Funny, sweet, little boy.

This was definitely my favorite trip to the circus thus-far.  Both kids are at an age where they were old enough to sit (relatively) still and watch the show.  (We bought 2 rows of 6 seats, so the adults sat in the back row, and the kids all sat in front of us below, which was super fun to watch.  Of course, they also spent a lot of time in and out of our laps, but it was nice to sprawl out--I would definitely buy tickets that way again)

N absolutely loved watching all of the animals perform-- the puppies and kitty cats, and the quick-change artist, in particular.  Eli's favorite, of course was the motorcycle cage.  He sat perfectly still for that part, and watched in awe, just saying "How do they do that?" over and over again.  Good times!

Spring Training

Spring has sprung in Robinson County, which means that we have been doing a little bit of this...

And a little bit of this...

And a WHOLE,

Lot

Of this!

I never realized how much patience my parents must have expended in teaching me to ride a bike with no training wheels (and I hope the same holds true for our kids some day when they look back on this time of learning)...but I have grown to appreciate it now, as an adult!  (Someone, please tell me teaching her to drive a car will be easier)

But in the end, seeing that smile

And hearing her proudly proclaim, "I can ride a bike with TWO wheels!"to nearly everyone we meet (whether we know them or not) makes it worth every second.

 

Although, I will also admit, finally seeing her riding away, so innocent, independent and care-free, was amazingly bittersweet.

(Cue the internal Abba soundtrack...and the waterworks--at least for me.)

"I watch her go with a surge of that well-known sadness and then I have to sit down for a while.
The feeling that I'm losing her forever--
and without really entering her world.
I'm glad whenever I can share her laughter--that funny little girl!


Slipping through my fingers all the time
I try to capture every minute--the feeling in it--slipping through my fingers all the time.  Do I really see what's in her mind each time I think I'm close to knowing? She keeps on growing, slipping through my fingers all the time..."

R.I.P. Mango

As I've mentioned before, the sole pet the past 3 years in Robinson County has been Norah's beloved fish friend, Mango.

 Sadly, as of April 4th, Mango is  no longer with us in body, but I'm confident his memory will be well preserved for many years to come in the mind of the family members here who loved him.

I worried that Norah would have a hard time coping with the loss of her first pet.  (Yes, as melodramatic as that may sound, to be nervous at the seemingly insignificant loss of a $5 beta fish, he had resided here for 3/5 of Norah's life, and she was very attached) So, I suggested that she memorialize him in art. (You can tell she was still broken up, emotionally at the time of this photo)

As usual, I was taken aback by her attention to detail.  She got the shape of his bowl down perfectly, he was a peach fish, and had turquoise and pink glass rocks in the bottom of his bowl. The bright colored patchwork in the upper right corner is a nearly perfect depiction of her curtains. The "rainbow" that he is sitting over is her bookcase, where he lived (her books are still arranged in color order).  Note the alarm clock to the left of the bowl.  It reads "5:00"...Norah explained to me this is because that's her favorite time of day because, "that's when Daddy comes home from work!"

This is still one of my favorite photos of N with Mango.  I can't count how many times I would find her in her room, gazing into his bowl.  She loved to watch him swim. Sometimes she told him about her day.  And best of all, she loved feeding him before she went to bed at night.

All loyalties aside though, she almost immediately began asking if she could get another pet fish...and (being the suckers  caring parents that we are) we quickly consented.  Enter "Figgy".  Norah chose him for his flashy purple color, and decided that she should keep with the exotic fruit category for his name.  (It took us a while to find a suitable purple fruit which met her approval).  Sadly, Figgy didn't fare as well as our old friend, Mango.  He only lasted about a month.  Which brings us back to square one...petless in Robinson County.  And (at least for now), we think we'll keep it that way for a little while.