First Day of School

Wow...the summer F-L-E-W by. Literally flew by!! The kids have been sooooo excited to start school.
New clothes - check.
New clothes washed - check.
School supplies bought - check.
Backpacks ready - check.
Haircuts completed - check.

School started for us in Gilbert on Wednesday, August 10. Wednesday began with Bryan running to grab eggs at the store so we could make pancakes for breakfast. By 7:30am, everyone (including me) had showered and were dressed. Lily wanted curly hair - so I turned on the curling iron. Brady wanted "cool hair" - so I got out the gel. By 8:10am we were ready to go and the kids even had a hot breakfast! (this is a big deal since they are normally stumbling out the door with cereal). Of course - I had to snap a few photos before we left. On Pinterest - I saw this idea to take a picture on the first day of school every year with a sign that says, "First Day of..." Well - I just happened to find a free downloadable template on HowDoesShe and I printed them off at Kinko's. I only wish I had this a few years ago when Brady started Pre-K. Oh well....first borns, we get jipped :)

After pictures, we headed over to the sitter's house so that we could drop off Charlie and walk from there to school. The sitter lives very close to the school - so we all (Bryan, Brady, Lily, and Me) walked with the sitter, her husband, and their kids to school.

When we arrived at school - I wanted one last picture of two of the Cuties before they went in. Brady was so embarrassed, but he played along. The four of us walked to find Brady's teacher's sign on the basketball court where they line up every morning. What a change from last year. He was so excited and such a "pro." He literally dropped his backpack and ran off to his friends. What? We didn't even get a picture of him in the line. We pretty much had to chase him down to say goodbye (yep, just what every kids wants - their mom and dad yelling out their name to give them a kiss). :) We then walked Lily over to the Preschool drop off area and waited. And waited. And waited. I guess the buses for some of the Preschool kids were running late. The teachers did NOT want us to walk in with the kids (boo!) and so we said our goodbyes outside the school. Lily could have cared less - she was so dang excited!

The school year has begun.

2nd and Pre-K

We're getting ready for the next school year over at our house. This past week was filled with preparation and we have still got some more prepping to go.

Brady and Lily will be at the same school. Brady will be in 2nd grade and is sooooo very excited to have his first boy teacher. Lily will be entering her first "real" school as a Preschooler. We are so darn lucky that our sitter has a daughter the same age as Lily and has volunteered (yes, volunteered) to take Lily to and from school with her daughter. Lily and her two BFFs will be in the same class and boy oh boy is she super excited!

This week started with me buying loads of school supplies. The nerd awesome person that I am gets most excited for this part. I loved, loved, looooooved school supply shopping as a kid and I love it even more now. I will say, I think the list of school supplies is absolutely ridiculous. First off...kids don't really get to pick what they really want anymore, the teacher's pick it for them. At Brady's school - the parents are responsible for bringing the entire list and then everything is combined and separated out when they need it. So...it very well may be that he will end up with some items/colors that we did not purchase. I don't really care that much about that...but, when Brady picked out red scissors...I'm hoping that he will get those red scissors at school. Secondly...teachers are screwed in today's times. They have to spend so much out of their own pocket and that completely stinks. To help, we have things on our list like reams of copy paper, fine point expo markers, and a $10 Walmart gift card. I absolutely do not mind buying school supplies (remember it's my favorite part) but...it just shows you that we do NOT do enough for our teachers and neither does our state.

I also had a couple dates this week. The first "date" was with Brady. We shopped a bit for some school clothes and shoes...oh and of course, the essentials - socks and underwear. I cleaned out his drawers and closet to prepare for our "date" and so I knew exactly what he needed. Although I'm not much of a character-type clothing person (to me plain is best) I have come a very long way and Brady got to either pick out his clothes or veto items that I selected. When we got home from our date...a fashion show took place in which he showed off his new clothes.

The second date was with Lily. Just like with Brady, I prepped for the shopping outing by cleaning out her drawers and closets. With Lily...typically she like the craziest, most obnoxious, pink frilly, blinged out clothes in the world. If you think something is obnoxiously crazy...she would love it. Well, I had to spot those items from a distance and steer her in another direction. She ended up with a few adorable items (and one really niiiiiiiice looking clearance sandals that I just couldn't hide fast enough). Of course, when we arrived home a fashion show took place.

And today - we all met my mom, along with Ashley and the kids at Kohl's. My mom takes the kids on an annual back to school shopping extravaganza. O.M.G. What a trip. It was like a zillion degrees outside and that just stunk - but, sheesh the kids were loaded up with tons of clothes. Of course the girls were trying to find every school acceptable dress in the store and the boys were....well, just boys. Thanks Mom!!!...oops and Dad! The good news is that my mom did get to rake in on some Kohl's cash :) After shopping - we braved the heat once more and drove over to Red Robin to take my mom to lunch as a thank you. What a day!

Of course...fashion shows took place again tonight. Brady and Lily have picked their favorite outfits and decided to strike a pose for some pictures.

her serious model pose 

hang loose

seriously? lol!

1st Grade Music Performance

Gilbert Public Schools puts on a 1st Grade Music Performance and on March 8th...Sonoma Ranch had their turn. Oh boy - Brady has been practicing and practicing and practicing for the last several months. Each 1st grader even had the chance to step up to the microphone and read 1-2 lines of a poem. It was very cute.

Short.

But, cute.

Exactly perfect!

The best part of the night was seeing all of the kids all dressed up in their "Sunday best" as was requested by their music teacher. If they only knew that our Sunday best is comfy clothes!! Brady wore his Christmas outfit with a non-Christmas-y sweater that I recently purchased. And of course, he had cool hair. All the girls were all dressed up in frilly Easter-like dresses. So cute!

My parents, Ash and the kids, and Cori and Aidyn came to support Brady. Oh was he so excited.

Introducing Our Newest Family Member...

Rylee Campbell.

Brady got the opportunity to adopt a critter at school. The critter options were 1) guppy, 2) pill bug (AKA rolly polly or potato bug), 3) snail, or 4) millipede. We were instructed to send a note to the teacher giving permission to adopt a critter. Brady really, really, really wanted a guppy (thank goodness!)...so our note went something like this:

Dear Mrs. Nguyen,

Brady is allowed to adopt a critter. He would prefer a guppy, but any of the critters will do.

Thank you!

I believe pretty much everyone in class was given the okay to adopt a critter. Thankfully, there was enough for all. So...the teacher held a lottery to select the new "parents." There were 8 guppies...Brady we got one.

Brady had already decided if his guppy was a girl - it would be named Rylee. And, if he got a boy - it would be named Jake. Brady told us that his guppy is a girl because it has a black spot. I have no idea if this is even true or if this is something the kids made up in class....but, needless to say - we are calling our guppy Rylee. I'm embarrassed to say I don't even know if guppies have a gender...do they?

We were told to bring in a plastic container so that the critter could come home. So yesterday, Brady came home with a guppy inside a plastic IKEA container that we had sent to school that morning. Bryan has since moved the guppy over to a small dollar store glass bowl that we had hidden in the cabinet.

Since the "adoption," we now realize that it is a forever adoption. I'm not sure that I really understood that part. I guess I thought it was temporary...kind of like a class pet that rotates. But, it's not. So, Rylee has joined us for the long haul.

We've been preparing Brady that guppies don't often live for that long...just in case. I mean...he did bring home a small sunflower plant a few weeks back and I've already killed it off. I think I over watered it. Seriously.

Whew...I am very thankful we ended up with a guppy. Although, Brady thinks it is pretty cool that the students that were selected for the snails and pill bugs were able to take home several of each. 

I'm now off to Google...how to care for a guppy.

First Day of First

I guess the psycho, crazy mom continues. This is how it all went down....

Brady's first day of first started out great. We woke him up at 7am. He showered, dressed, ate breakfast and got "cool hair." In our house, cool hair stands for a bit of spikes using hair glue. I made his lunch, grabbed a banana for his morning snack, and readied his backpack for the day.

Picture time!! Yep...pictures of the big first grader are a necessity. He was rockin' his Chandler Bing smile...so he needed a bit of help. We were running a little late (we still had to drop the girls off at the sitter's) so...I was forced to get him to switch his smile quickly. How'd I do it? Well...instead of the standard "say cheese!!!," I am forced to try funny phrases or words. "Monkey" sometimes works...but, lately it's been overused. Brades and Lil think the funniest word is butt crack (talk to the Hottie about teaching them that one) so...what do you think I had him say?? Yep...I stooped that low. But...it worked. So...no judging. We got the cutest picture ever.

Next, we headed out to drop off the girls and then to take out big guy to school. Mrs. Nguyen (did I mention before she is super duper organized?? Love that!) gave us parents a packet of info about the class, school, and the first day rules. She prefers that we say our goodbyes at the door rather than walking him into the class (like we did in Kindergarten). We walked him up to the playground where we found the sign for his class. We made it just in time. Brady was the last kid in the line and they headed to the class right when we got there. We followed him the few feet to the door and said our goodbyes.

Right then it struck me and the crazy, psycho parent came out...This is a new school. He does not know one person in his class. Literally...he could look at every kid in the school and wouldn't know if they were in his class or not. He had only met his teacher once. He didn't even know his room number. He didn't even know how to get to his room...and he was about to enter the school in a different door than we entered in last night. He was the last kid in his class line. What if he turned around for a second and then didn't know which line was his class? There were gobs of kids everywhere. I imagined him standing in the hall waiting for someone to point him in the right direction. As he is entering the school...I'm quickly telling him his teacher's name and room number...just in case he forgot.

After he went in the building, the Hottie and I walked back to the car along with the other gazillion parents. Boy was it H-O-T, HOOOOOOOOOT! Gross!! As we got into the car, I wondered aloud if he made it to his class. The Hottie got worried, too. He suggested I go into the office and ask if I can make sure he made it to the class. I didn't want to be one of those psycho moms, but I didn't want Brady to be lost either. I called Ash to ask her opinion. Well...no surprise she told me to get into the school and make sure he made it (she is even waaaaaaay more neurotic than me). So...I did just that. I entered the office. I apologized to the admin gal for being a psycho parent, explained Brady was new and not familiar at all with the school or any other kids and I just wanted to make sure he made it to class. I think I imagined she would let me go back to the room and peak in the window to see if he was at his seat...but nooooooooo. She called down to his class and asked his teacher if he made it to class. Over the class loudspeaker. Oh.My.Goodness. Thank the Lord he is in first grade and not sixth grade...he would never have forgiven me.

No surprise. He made it to class.

Once the school day was over, we picked him up (after waiting in a ridiculous pickup line) and chatted with him about his day. These were his highlights: P.E. (of course), coloring 3 times, calendar time, recess 2 times, and lunch time because they are allowed to go to the playground right after lunch and DON'T have to wait for the teacher to take them (apparently that's a big deal - but don't worry, there is an aide out there). Oh...and the bathroom pass. That's the coolest. He can take the pass to the bathroom. All.By.Himself.

So far...first grade is a hit. He is getting so big...I just can't believe it.

First Day of School

I was searching for a cute clip art about the First Day of School when I found this cute little poem:

Thanks stepbystepcc.com/school.html SOOO cute!

New Teachers

I don't know who is more excited for school...Brades...or ME!! I absolutely loved school. Don't get me wrong, I loved the summer as a kid, too...but, school was my fave. Especially...the first day of school. I totally remember counting down the days until the first day. I remember walking, or riding my bike, or making my mom drive by the school every single day until they posted the coveted classroom lists. Finding out who my teacher would be for the year was the ABSOLUTE highlight of the summer. Forget vacations...it was all about those damn class lists.

Last week, I took Brady up to the school to do just that. The school posted the class lists at 4pm on Friday. We just happened to be heading home from Ashley's at that time (it was seriously a coincidence...I promise!) so we stopped by the school. When we pulled up, there was a group of parents and kids surrounding the windows looking at the lists. Brady and I jumped out of the car and walked on up. PERFECT TIMING - the first grade lists were literally going up at that very second. We found Brady's name....Mrs. Nguyen is his teacher.

Hmm...try telling your first grader (who is a beginning reader) to sound out his teachers name when his teacher is Mrs. Nguyen. SOOO Funny.

Since Brady is at a new school this year...we didn't know one person in his class...but, we knew his teacher's name. So, I did what every other crazy, stalkerish, psycho mother does...I looked her up on the school website, since the list only showed Mrs. Nguyen and NOT her first name. My plan was to then Google her name, search for her on Facebook...and find out just who his teacher is. You know...find out all the good stuff!

Well...guess WHAT??!!

Mrs. Nguyen was NOWHERE to be found on the faculty list. Yep...this stalker mom was stuck. We know NO ONE at the school to ask. It was Friday after office hours. And, besides that...calling to ask the school for the teacher's first name seemed a little crazy. Even.For.ME.

Well...we made it through the weekend. We made it to Tuesday. We made it to the Meet the Teacher Night. And...we finally met Mrs. Nguyen. Our first impression??? A-W-E-S-O-M-E!! She is very organized. The room was very clean. This is her fourth year at the school, but she was married this summer so she has a new last name. THAT is why she was not on the faculty list. Thank goodness. I had this fear that they threw all the "new" kids into the class with the "new" teacher. But...that is NOT the case at all!

We left Meet the Teacher Night and brought Brades to dinner...just the 3 of us. Funny how dinner with just one child is SO much different than with the whole crew. Brady acts SO old and behaves SO well. We then picked up the girls from the 'rents and let Brady tell Nanny and Poppy all about his new teacher and his new class. Oh...and the fact that tomorrow is P.E. and he is SOOO excited!

We are now home. Brady's first day outfit has been laid out. The parent forms that his teacher sent home are filled out and ready to go. His backpack is ready. I sat down to write a letter to the teacher (that she asked all parents to complete) about Brady...to help her to get to know him a bit. Things like...his hobbies, his strengths, weaknesses, family life, etc. I saw my computer...and my psycho instincts kicked in. I knew her first name now. And...her maiden name. So, I Googled her. I should totally be a private investigator. Thank goodness for the internet...what did we ever do without it??

You know what...I changed my mind. Maybe it's better to just have faith that everything will be okay than to turn into the psycho mom that just snoops around the internet. I don't know though...it is pretty entertaining. Technology = so much fun!

Kindergarten Graduation

Brady graduated from Kindergarten!!

Last Thursday they put on a little graduation program. So we all (all 5 of us) headed out to Brady's school. (Yes...this was the day after we came home from the hospital) The kids all made a graduation cap, sang some songs, and were introduced as graduates. Then...we ate some quick snacks. Next we caught a late breakfast with Ashley and the kids.

It was perfect.

Wow...what a quick year. Brady is VERY excited for 1st grade. Oh...and the report card is in - all E's for EXCEEDS!! What a smarty-pants.

Congratulations Brady!!!

We couldn't be more proud of you!

Spelling Tests & Trouble

Do you remember this game?


Well, the cuties LOVE it. My mom bought it for her house awhile back and they have become addicted. Especially Brady.

Today, I picked him up from my parents and he was playing it alone. He loves it and when he gets to play it alone - he gets 4 chances to win!! What a nerd.

He begged Nanny to borrow it - so we took it home for a family game night after dinner tonight. The four of us played - Brady = blue, Daddy = red, Mommy = green, & Lily = yellow. It was very fun...and VERY funny. Lily won. Seriously. Brady came in a VERY close second. I came in 3rd...and the hottie never made it past 5 spaces out of home. He had the most unlucky game EVER. Boy oh boy - did the cuties think it was funny.

It sure is the little things.

On a side note...Brady has his very first spelling test on Wednesday. 10 words. We gave him a practice test tonight. He got 9 out of 10. He missed the word, brown. He was devastated. We made up a song to help him learn the spelling of brown. "B-R-O-W-N" to the tune of B-I-N-G-O. He loves it. And...guess who knows how to spell brown? Yep, Brady. Let's just hope he'll remember on Wednesday.

Maybe I should try these types of games with the Hottie to help him learn to spell....just kidding.

The Hottie has been instructed to give another spelling practice test tomorrow night while I'm out of town. So, if you talk to him before then...PLEASE remind him :)

Good luck Brades!

Hohokam Elementary

I switched elementary schools in the 3rd grade when we moved from Phoenix to Scottsdale. I was put into Hohokam Elementary School. The very same school that many of my cousins...and siblings...and even parents went to.

They celebrated their 50th Anniversary last weekend.

We went.

All of us.

We toured the school.

Looked at old pictures.

Let the kids play on the playground.

Participated in fundraisers and raffles.

I won a t-shirt.

A Hohokam Falcons shirt.

Green and Yellow.

Yuck.

Still the same colors and I still hate them so.

And...amongst the 80's and 90's class picture albums, I found these beauties....

Field Trips = Exhausting

Several weeks ago, I volunteered for Brady's first official field trip. He's taken field trips before with school - but, the parents all HAD to go. There was no option. In Pre-K, we met at the field trip locations...no bus involved. So...considering that this time there was only a handful of parents, a gazillion kids, and a bus to and from...this was a REAL field trip.

When I signed up for the field trip - I was really looking forward to it. Seriously. I'm not sure what type of magical experience I thought I would have...but, I must of thought that it would be pretty special. At first, Brady told me he did not want me to come...as much as it hurt - I was okay with it and was ready to NOT volunteer. Luckily for my self-esteem, he changed his mind as I was filling out the permission slip.

Well...today, was the big field trip. We went to Superstition Farm...a family-owned dairy farm near my parent's house. We've been there before - once with the family and once with Brady's Pre-K class.

I arrived to the school ON TIME. Yes, I was proud. I was quickly given my "nurses pack" which was basically a sandwich baggie filled with the following supplies: rubber gloves, tissues, alcohol wipes, gauze, and bandages. Luckily I had a wipey case of wipes in my purse...so with those included, I was a walking first aid kit. I was given a small piece of paper with a list of the 6 kids in my group, one being Brady. I really didn't think he would be assigned to my group...don't most kids listen to other parents better than their own?? but, he was. After handing out name tags to my group, we lined up and headed to the bus.

The bus was chaotic. For most kids, this was their first ride on a school bus...Brady included. They thought it was AWE-SOME!! They couldn't get over the fact that they did not have to wear seat belts. It was rather entertaining. After watching the teacher's aide continuously yelling for kids to sit down (as the bus was driving) I joined in on the "discipline" and kept my 6 in line. Well...I wouldn't call it keeping them in line...more just constant reminders to sit down.

Upon arrival to the farm...our bus stopped and parked within 50 feet of a cow giving birth. Yes...the kids watched a cow birth a calf. Most of them had no idea what was happening. The maternity area was busy at the farm today...5 babies were born...2 while we were there, if you can believe it.

We headed into the "classroom" which is more or less a garage with bales of hay for the kids to sit on. Can you say SNEEZE?? That's pretty much what we heard the entire time the farm hands were talking about the cows, type of cows, milk, cow tags, medicines, and farm tools used.

Once the classroom time was over, we were split into 4 large groups. The entire Kindergarten grade was there...4 teachers in all, so there was a loooooooot of kids. My group started at the goats. They loved it. They even got to feed the animals, pet some bunnies, and if they wanted, hold a chicken. Right away...I lost a kid. He wondered over to another group and luckily...he was only gone about 1 minute. Whew. That was close. After lots of sanitizer, we moved over to another "classroom" type lesson about water. This took just about every ounce of patience the kids had to spare. It was long and draining and relatively boring. The kids are 5. I give them credit for this part. Next was flavored milk time. They lined up and put in their order for flavored milk. There was plain milk, chocolate, strawberry, melon, pistachio, cherry, vanilla, grape....and several more that I can't remember. Brady was last in the line of about 35...he wasn't happy. After drinking their ice cold milk...they ran over to a haystack maze where they found some baby chicken eggs. Finally...they were at the highlight of the trip - the tractor/haystack tour around the farm. They loved that part. After the tour, we met up with the other groups and ate lunch. Most kids were too overwhelmed to eat...but, they gave it a try. After lunch, it was back to the bus to head back to the school.

Thank goodness.

I was exhausted. I had counted to 6 so many times...I just couldn't do it anymore. The kids pottied, washed their hands, and loaded the bus. The bus ride home was much less eventful. You could see they were a little tired. But I'm thinking that was nothing compared to us parents!! After arriving at the school, the parents were given the option to take their kids home with them then...or come back in 2 hours at the end of the school day. Yippee!!! I was so excited to take Brady home early, pick up Lil and completely bypass rush hour traffic. But......wouldn't you know it....my perfect-neverdoesanythingwrongjustlikehisdadkid, wouldn't leave before the end of the day. So, I quickly drove home...cleaned up...relaxed for a minute...and then drove back to pick up Brady from school.

Thinking about it...field trips for teachers are easy. Maybe not easy...but, us parents are just not used to it. The teachers were not assigned a group...so it was only us parents that were constantly counting to 6, chasing down "lost" children, and tending to their every need. During lunch, as us parents were opening wrappers and putting straws into the juice boxes...the teachers got to sit at their own table and...just eat. To be fair...they do spend all day, everyday with these rambunctious 5 year olds...so they do deserve it.

While I'm glad I went...I'm going to think twice about the next field trip.

p.s....a kid in one of the other classes had this adorable dog tag necklace. When you read it...it was literally a dog tag - it gave the child's name, address, phone number, and parent contact information. That parent was NOT taking any chances. WHAT A GOOD IDEA!

p.s.s...while matching red shirts was such a cute idea...try tracking down your 6 assigned children amongst a sea of red shirts. The kids all looked the same. Can you say nightmare?

Do You Think Brady is Missing Nap Time?

In case you missed it, Brady has entered full-day Kindergarten. He loves it. He is definitely my child in that he loves school. There is just one problem....

Brady is a nap kid. You know - the kind of kid that says he doesn't need a nap then falls asleep. We were worried about how he would handle ALL DAY WITH NO NAP. Luckily, we were instructed to bring a "rest towel" to school on Day 1. Phew....

After Day 1, Brady told us that they do go into the music room for "rest time"...but, they only rest their eyes. He firmly stated that he does NOT nap, just rests his eyes.

Today was a half-day. Brady was invited over for a play date with his friend Connor. Lucky Me...(especially since I work from home on Wednesdays and would have needed to take him to my sister's for a half-day). Apparently, the boys played, ate snacks...and just acted like boys. When I picked him up around dinner-time...I was pleasantly surprised to hear what a well-mannered child he is.

We then jumped in the car to pick up Lil from Cori's. I'm talking away to Brady - asking about his day...blah, blah, blah. 5 minutes later I ask a question and receive NO RESPONSE. I ask again...nothing. I look back....

He's out. Head to the side, mouth catching flies, snoring - OUT. We arrive at Cori's. I turn off the car and realize it's a million degrees out. I turn the car back on...Brady opens his eyes for a half-second for me to ask if he wants to wait in the car while I run in to grab Lil. "Yes," he whispers and drifts back to dreaming.

So I run in - grab Lil - and hop back into the van to head home. When we get home - Brady wakes just long enough to stumble into the house, throw off his shoes, and fall onto the couch. Dinner? Forget it - he is not interested. He somehow does wake to shower. I'm thinking he was sleep-walking because he immediately dresses and beelines it back to the couch.

Poor guy - this "no nap" stuff is tough!!

So...needless to say - this is what our house looked like at 6pm...just after arriving home. Brady zonked out on the couch and Lil...wouldn't you know - dressed up in her dance clothes. Surprise, Surprise!!

My Dad Really is Poppy

Luckily, my dad has "volunteered" to pick Brady up from school on Mondays. Yes, Brady is SUPER excited. He hopes Poppy sometimes saves a pool for him to help service.

In preparation for his new "job," my dad took a test run with me yesterday on Brady's first day of school. It was probably a bad idea. No, not the test run...but, choosing it on the first day of school.

After arriving over 20 minutes early (by suggestion from other parents) we were looking good - only about 6 cars back in the parent pick-up line. And those of you with elementary kids know this line can be very, VEry, VERY, VEEEEEERRRRRY long. In fact, about 10 minutes after we arrived, I'd estimate the pick-up line was 70 cars deep. At least. No joke.

Sitting there (of course with the AC running) another mini van squeezed in between me and the car in front of me. Well...my dad = NOT so happy. He waited a minute, then reached over and honked to let them know that was NOT cool!

Maybe this was the first day jitters - but, many parents (NOT us) got into the parent pick-up line, turned off their car, got out, and walked over to locate their child.

Wh-Wh-What??

This line is supposed to be like a drive-thru. You get in line (arrive early to be first...WAIT your turn), kids come out, kids get in, parents drive off. There should be NO getting in line just to shut down car and walk around locating your child. If this is your plan - park across the street and walk up - DO NOT ruin the drive-thru line.

I mean...can you imagine waiting in a 70-car line at Wendy's and cars all around you are shutting down, the drivers are getting out, walking up to the window - asking for their food, chatting with the workers for a bit, then walking back to their car, starting it back up....all, as you sit there patiently waiting your turn? Well, that's pretty much what happened yesterday.

There is definitely NO cutting in these lines. It's a one way parking lot. The drop off area allows enough room for the right curb lane to be the "waiting area" for you to pull up and stop your car to wait for your child. As children get picked up ahead of you and the cars pull away, you get to move forward. See how that works? Then, once your child gets in the car - you can either, pull out to the left and drive out the lot, or...pull forward and out of the lot if all cars in front of you are also full and ready to go. There should be NO utilization of that left lane as another "waiting area" or for "cuts-ies." Sorry...if I got there first, TOO BAD! Right? I mean...it's just like at a drive-thru.

Phew...I was definitely thinking all of that - but, not vocalizing my irritation. My dad...he couldn't hide it. He was sure to honk and tell the parents and teachers exactly how he felt. I don't blame him one bit. And, once I hid the "child identification" paper that you keep visible in your car, it sure made for some good laughs.

Once Brady was in the car and we were FINALLY pulling away from the school - my dad proclaimed that he would be arriving early enough every Monday to be the very first car in the drive-thru line. Somehow, I don't doubt he will.

This reminds me of my Poppy (my mom's dad). He often helped out my parents by picking us kids up from school or summer day camp. He ALWAYS left early. And by early, I mean at least 45 minutes early. But - we were always on time, and he was always on time to pick us up.

I'm thinking my Poppy and my dad are on to something. Bryan has already told me - he too, will be arriving early. The two of them are like two peas in a pod. I'm sure they are both already stressing over the pick-ups. I have no doubt that they both will be the very first car in the parent pick-up line every day, over the next year.

In all reality, though, eliminating Kids Club cannot be done without my dad's help. So, THANKS DAD for helping us out!!! You are definitely a lifesaver - and Brady is ecstatic that Poppy is picking him up on Mondays.

p.s. Day 2 - the line looked good, but seemed to never move. Although I arrived early - I decided to fore go the drive-thru line in lieu of parking at the park across the street and walking the 50 yards to the pick Brady up.

A Note to our First Born

Dear Brady,

Today is your first day of Kindergarten. Daddy and I dropped you off just a couple of hours ago.

Wow. You are such a big, independent boy - you walked right into the school with such confidence, excitement, and only a tinge of nervousness. We just know you will be a superstar. Even beginning with first thing this morning - you woke up and came out dressed for the day ready to go...Nanny hair and all.

I am sorry for the gazillion pictures I took - I just couldn't help myself. Luckily I was only one camera amongst about a thousand others. You should probably get used to it - I do get a little camera happy and I am certainly NOT shy about it, although I'm sure Daddy would prefer I try to blend in just a little more.

When I picked up Lily after dropping you off - she quickly asked where you were. She was very sad when I told her you were at school. Gratefully, Aidyn is with us today to help lift her spirits. They are both VERY EXCITED to pick you up this afternoon. In fact, they are even excited for naps because they know picking you up from school happens right after they wake up.

You will have many more first days of school. Enjoy them. School is awesome - you will meet lots of people, make lots of friends, and learn so much - much more than you will ever really need to know (and you can too soon be much smarter than both Mommy and Daddy). The possibilities are endless and it all begins now.

We love you buddy - have fun, respect your teacher, listen, learn, think, make lots of friends, and please remember your manners.

Love,
Mommy

Kindergarten - We're Coming!!

Today - Brady graduated from Pre-K.

No big deal, right?

Well...Brady's school celebrated the graduation with caps and gowns, tassels, and songs. The class of 2022 gave us a glimpse of what they have learned from intro to reading to weather to counting by 5's. Lots of singing - followed by diplomas - followed by food and pictures.

Of course, Nanny was there shedding tears.

As Mrs. Allison handed out the diplomas - she introduced each child giving a brief rundown about their likes/dreams. For example - "she loves to help her mom, she is good at coloring, and when she grows up she wants to be a dentist."

For Brady's description - it went down something like this: "Brady loves to play baseball. He is best at hitting baseballs. Baseball is his favorite. And, when he grows up, he wants to be a baseball player."

Could we have expected anything different? I think not.

Some of the cutest of the morning were:

Lots of dentist aspirations.

Lots of policeman aspirations.

Lots of fireman aspirations.

When she grows up, she wants to be a babysitter.

When he grows up, he wants to shave.

When she grows up, she wants to be tall.

Sooo adorable.

Congrats Brady - we officially have a Kindergartner in our house!!

What Does He Really Think?

Brady's Pre-K hosted a Parent Appreciation day.
It was so cute.
It was obvious how much they practiced.
They sang many songs about their love for their parents and grandparents.

Brady...has no problem with stage fright.
I think he craves it.
He was one of the...should I say...most boisterous of all.

One of the cutest parts of the day was the "interview" type narratives that the teacher put together. She interviewed each child about either their mother or their father. Throughout the performance, she would read the interview - and we all found out how...pretty much our child views us. Bryan didn't get the whole interview from Brady...but here is the ending of how Brady sees me.




Brady's interview was around the middle of the program. So...I had plenty of time to hear other interviews and rack up enough nerves about what would be said about me. Many kids had talked about their moms and dads loving the computer, apples, salads, working, video games such as Kill Zone (which was funny). All I was thinking about was the Everyone Loves Raymond episode in which one of the twins wrote a story that was read aloud during open house describing "The Angry Family." I was only thinking what kind of therapy would we all need. Needless to say, no worries needed.

Have I mentioned how I love Brady's Pre-K? Yep...many times. 2 years from now - I hope Lily will be in the same class with the same teacher. Is she tough? Yep. Is she strict? Yep. Is she knowledgeable? Yep. Is she loving? Yep. Has she increased Brady's skill? Without a doubt.

I'll Huff and I'll Puff...

Brady's strict, yet SUPER awesome Pre-K teacher Mrs. Allison set up for the Children's Puppet Theater to come to the school today for a presentation of the Three Little Pigs.

After - she had a pig craft fair set up which entailed:

1) Pig beanie bag races

2) Create a piggie out of cups/foam/glue

3) Create a piggie out of paper/paper plates/glue

4) Create Three Little Pigs "craft stick" people

5) Yummy Snacks

Before the crafts - there was a quick musical performance in which the classes (all 40 of the AM/PM Pre-K kids) sang along to Three Little Pig music.

Guess who stood out? This video was the quietest he was the entire song...even other parents commented on his...."ability" after the performace. Too funny!

I can't say enough how much I adore the Pre-K program through the Gilbert Public Schools - Thanks Mrs. Allison - she is the best and exactly what Brady needs to succeed!

Pre-K Unity Program

I love Brady's Pre-K!! He really is learning so much. Somehow - he is an angel for his teacher. She is strict and expects a lot - and I think that is exactly what Brady needs.

Last night was filled with the adorable voices of 40, 4 & 5 year-olds singing songs about Unity. It was absolutely adorable. How Mrs. Allison got all 40 kids to walk out in a single file line...quietly...and line up on the stage for about 30 minutes is beyond me. It was amazing and absolutely precious.

Brady had Mommy, Daddy, Lily, Nanny, Poppy, Aunt Cori and Aidyn there to cheer him on. We brought some cookies for the potluck - but, the group of us decided to fore go the potluck (there was a really, really, really long line) and gather together at Brady's favorite restaurant...Wendy's!!

The kids were so cute.

Did I mention I love his Pre-K class?

And...here's Daddy and Brady, hammin' it up after the performance...

Do Princesses Belong in the Corner?

I've talked about how Bryan and Brady are best buddies and

Lil and I are their princesses - what does that get me?

The answer is - a seat in the corner at Thanksgiving.

Do you see me?

You know, the one with the red arrow. That's me. As an afterthought. In the corner. To be fair, he said I didn't fit. But, I don't know if that's any better.

Goodbye October - Hello November!

The last week of October was SUPER busy. With 2 pumpkin patch stops - Mother Nature's Farm and Schnepf's Farm, then a class Halloween party for Brady's Pre-K, then the Babcock and Sowa's party it sure was hectic, but of course, fun.

Schnepf's Farm is typically an annual stop for all of us. We just couldn't seem to find time for it this year...but, Brady and I did get to go with his class - his 1st Field Trip!! It was hot, exhausting, and fun. We traveled around with 3 boys and their moms from Brady's class. The boys had a blast - and Brady was out before we even left the parking lot!

Too cute - this one is before we were escorted into the farm...before the exhaustion sets in!

Choo choo - the famous train ride...it's scary at night!

Little monsters...

Brady and A.J - getting ready to fly the plane

Sweaty and hot - in line for the coaster...

the boys didn't want their moms to ride - they went alone

Buzzing by on the bees

Just a bit hot - cute pink cheeks

Collecting our "free" pumpkins and finishing homemade ice cream - YUMMY!

The Halloween party at Brady's class was a definite success. Mrs. Allison is the GREATEST teacher. She had several different stations set up with "Halloweeny" crafts - pumpkins, black cats, spiders, decorating cookies, puzzles, and "hammering" golf tees into pumpkins (this might not sound that great - but it kept the kids busy forever). I will think again before I bring Lily to a class party for Brady. I feel bad - I didn't really get to focus on Brady as I should. But...luckily, he doesn't seem to have cared.

The Halloween Bash at the Babcock's was a blast. The fam's with kiddies met at 6pm to go trick-or-treating as a group - and boy what a group it was:

Ashley, Brett, Ry and Jake

Dawn, Bryan, Brady and Lil

Cori, Mike and Aidyn

Tara, Bob and Ava

Nanny and Poppy

Robin, Aaron and babe Lincoln and of course, Aunt Karen

Debbie, Lindsay and Lily

Jacki and Sheldon

Jamie, Robert and Haily

Pam and Kevin

p.s - I hope I didn't miss anyone!! :)

I'm sure we looked crazy walking down the street together - but, it was SO fun! We only went out for about 1 hour...but, with 30 people - think 5 minutes at least per house. Lots of falls - Jake and Brady especially...but, no serious injuries.

Once the kids (or should I say little kids) were in bed - PARTY. It was a fun time had by all - lots of talking, food, drinks, and of course the norm beer pong, darts and poker. I think we had some very creative costumes - Deal or no Deal, the Alltel commercial guys, Sarah Palin, Gilligan and the Skipper, Nun and Priest, scary nurse and patient, and my personal fave - foosball table people. Check it out:

We are now so exhausted - we had to pass on the 2 other party invites for tonight...cleaning ALL day and are pooped! Happy November 1st - too close to Christmas, it's scary!