How Was Your Day?

I sometimes feel sorry for Daddy, since he's still at work when you get home from school.  You are always full of energy and have lots to tell me about, and I soak it all in!  But, by the time Daddy gets home, you are starting to wind down (or are extremely hyper, trying to stay awake, and usually too silly for a good conversation)  But leave it to Daddy to think of the perfect way to hear all about your day...

I came into your room tonight, after baths, to find "Dollhouse Daddy" having a conversation with "Dollhouse Norah" all about her day at school (with surprisingly similar details to the account "real" Norah had given me  when I picked her up from school).!

It was so precious, I had to take a few photos, in hopes that you will remember what a sweet (and clever) Daddy you have

The Part-Time Only Child

With a Norah, safely at school, Eli and I have been finding lots to keep ourselves busy...especially at the children's museum!  We've always frequented the museum (especially after Gramps and Grandad bought us a family pass for Christmas a couple of years ago!), but it is a completely different experience going there with just one kid in tow!  Norah and Eli being 2 years apart, and different genders,   it seemed like they were always on opposite sides of the museum, leaving me running back and forth between the two of them, trying to keep an eye on both at the same time.  (Norah usually wanted to paint, and Eli was content to play with the trucks and trains)...but with just Eli, I was able to sit down and play with him...and it was so much fun! 

Our favorite exhibit right now is the construction site.  It looks like a miniature frame of a house, but all the wooden beams have magnetic strips on them, so you can attach (with more magnets) sheet rock walls.  There are also holes drilled into the wood, just the right size for adding pvc pipe, which are there, along with plenty of couplers to for adding extensions. 

Eli was especially fascinated with the level.  I showed him how the bubble works to show whether something is level, or needs adjusting. 

  

He quickly discovered that if one side was too high, he could "cut it down" with the saw, and make it just right.  He also had a great time fixing leaks in the pipes I plumbed, with his trusty pliers.

Other days, we hang out around the house, playing checkers, or tic tac toe.  Sometimes he even helps me fold laundry!

Not to say that we dont' miss that older sister (because we do!)...but we are getting by...and enjoying the first steady "one-on-one time" we've had since Eli was born.

  

It's Raining, It's Pouring!

Today, God sent rain!! (After one of the worst droughts of our lifetime, this was big news!) We were so thankful for the rain this morning.  You thought it looked "strange" (read: dark) outside...poor Norah, it's been so long since we've had a storm, you've forgotten what it's like.

I explained to you that today was a special day of prayer for Mr. Taylor...that people all over America, and even in other countries would be praying hard for Mr. Taylor all day.  I asked you to pray for him, too. 

We headed to school (I, thinking I'd drop you off at the circle drive and let you walk yourself to class today), only to discover that you wanted us to walk you all the way to class.  I, in my rookie kindergarten-mom unpreparedness, didn't bring an umbrella, one.  So, we parked as close as we could and made a dash for the covered awning.  (Eli found this to be the greatest adventure of the morning)

We made it in with just a few raindrops on our clothes, but I noticed your eyes were red and watery.  The weather had you a little down.  (The prospect of being away from Mommy during a thunderstorm was a little scary) I gave you two kissing hands, and your confidence seemed restored. (How I wish this could always be enough to heal your hurts) Thankfully, Sr. M. noticed your less perky-than-usual state, and asked me about you after you sat down.  I explained, and he gave me a knowing smile--I knew he would take good care of you. 

You had a new student join your class today.  His name is Tyson, and we know him from story time at the library (and from McDonald's with the indoor playground).  He is a good friend of Kambrie's.

A New Friend

Norah, each day you come home and update me on your "new friends".  I'm happy to see that you are really making an effort to "be friends with everyone", as you informed me today.  Today, as we had our after school snack/debriefing, you told me that you made a new friend.  But you were "too embarrassed" to tell me the "friend's" name...finally, you divulged that his name is Sebastian.  He sits at your green table.  You drew a picture of him on the back of your classwork today (thankfully, after you had completed it).  He wears glasses.  You explained that he told you he wasn't good at coloring, so you helped him with his paper.  I told you that it was sweet of you to want to help him, but that you needed to let him do his own work because practicing will help him do better.  (But it is still ok to encourage him)

Everything was copacetic with the girls on the playground today, no hurt feelings...insert sigh of relief here.

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!)