Every Now and Then...

I brag on my children!!! ;-)

Sam got his first report card - all E's and S's... we are SO PROUD of our little guy!!! He got a Principal's Award for his good grades, as well as an Achievement Award for being a good student. At his parent/teacher conference, Mrs. Rowberry (who is Dyer's Teacher of the Year) told us that he has wonderful manners, and is excelling at school! These types of reports make a mommy and daddy super-proud!!!! He is reading already... and he loves it when we read to him!!! I have been volunteering in his class once or twice a week (which is the only way I know ANYTHING that he does at school), and he says that it's his favorite part of his day!!! Such a sweet little guy!!!

Jake also (surprisingly ;) had a good report at his parent/teacher conference. He has only gotten two yellows since school started in September... which is pretty good considering Jake isn't exactly the quietest kid I know! He gets punished at home when he isn't good at school - and these two yellows have 'only' been for talking - I say 'only' because it could always be worse, right!? He is excelling in school as well - he knows everything and way more than a typical pre-schooler should, and he sure is making his mommy and daddy proud too!!! He comes home singing and telling us stories... he knows so many nursery rhymes!!!! A far cry from Sam, who wouldn't (still doesn't) share a THING about what he's learning!!!!!

I sure do love my boys... and I sure do love that they are such good kids......

Jake's 4th Birthday - #2...

SCHOOL....

Jake loves to celebrate with his friends... and we had Spiderman galore!!!! Spiderman plates, napkins, party favors, and even Spiderman CAKE POPS... thanks to a new friend!!!!!

Jake's class singing to him...

Still singing...

Playing with his party favor/blowy-thingy... what are those things called, anyway!?

Eating his Spidey Cake Pop!

Seriously, mom... let me eat my lunch in peace!!!



Happy Birthday, Jake... again!!!!

Catching up...

Surely I'm not the only one with a million pictures on my camera phone? That tells the stories of day-to-day life... right???? Please????

Well, since I've been depriving the blog for a few weeks, I have a build-up (again) of pictures that warrant sharing!!!! So here we go with the camera phone back-up-of-pictures....

First, though... an update on school - Sam loves it (I'm not surprised - he's a creature of habit... once he gets into a routine, he is GREAT!).  Jake likes school... he just won't admit it.  Or he just likes hanging out with mommy better!? He doesn't cry, but he has been known to throw himself onto the floor in an effort to not go.  That never works. ;-) He is adjusting to going three days in a row!!!!  He really liked having a 'home day' in between his school days!!! hahaha!!! I usually get, "Do I have to go to school today, AGAIN???? AWWWWW MAN!!!!" But I think he likes it - he just won't admit it!!!!

OK - now, for pictures....

Jake wearing his bookback to the bus stop - because the big kids do... he's not in school yet, here...

Jake and I kept pretty busy those few weeks it was just the two of us... we visited Nanny a lot... which she loved too!!!!

Sam and his creativity... LOVE it!!! These were made from his 3D glasses he got at the World of Coke during his visit with Opa and Ernie...

I took Jake for ice cream...

We visited Sam at school for lunch (a few times ;-)...

Sam using his dad's shoe horn to get his tennis shoes on... imitation... :-)

Jake and I went to the grocery store... a lot...

He played trains (a lot)...

We babysat Emma...

See? More trains...

We painted pottery for a good cause (Children's Healthcare of Atlanta)...

Cutie...

We went to FroYoLo... at least it's better for you than REAL ice cream!?

Mimi and Pop Pop went on vacation...

They thought this was the coolest thing - maybe we can go next time!?!?

More cutie...

More cutie playtime...

Silly cutie playtime...

Cutie...

More FroYoLo...

Mimi and Pop came home... bearing prizes...

More FroYoLo (we had to introduce Mimi and Pop Pop... they are now hooked too)

Spiderman suit only comes off to eat and sleep (only because we have spiderman jammies)...

Captain America's prize...

Ready to walk to the bus stop...

Sam too... he can web with the best of them!

Jake's 2nd day of school... he wasn't a fan of going... he thought he should have a day off in between - like last year!!!!!

Yes, they still hang out in their undies... and Stormie isn't any less modest...

BJ's lost coffee cup.... he left it on my bumper one morning - it made it halfway out of the neighborhood before it met it's fate... he called me THREE TIMES to remind me to get it... the third time being as I was walking out the door.  Oops...

Sam and Jake's other prize... Croc tennis shoes... they are AWESOME!!!!

OK - think the blog is up to speed on those random pictures laying around!!!!!

Jake's 1st Day of School....

Today was Jake's first day of school...  it seems so overshadowed since Sam has been in KINDERGARTEN for FOUR WEEKS now!?!?  My... how time flies!!!!  He was my typical Jake - not excited about school... he would rather stay home with Mommy!  BUT... there were no tears, so that is an AWESOME start to this new year of school!  He did say that he really wished Sam still went to preschool with him (me too, buddy!)... and he was a little sad he couldn't ride the "Memory Bus." I'm not at all sure what that is, but I figure that he's sad he can't ride the bus like Sam... which I am positive that he really doesn't mean that!!!! ;-)

Here is Jake (last week) when we met his teachers - Mrs. Melissa and Mrs. Leigh Anne...

And Mrs. Melissa helping with his craft while Mommy filled out her mountain of paperwork!

The kid at the bottom of that picture might possibly be the "Blue Boy" who took Jake's toy from him and made him cry.  Jake has told me quite a few times that he doesn't want to go to school and play with "Blue Boy".... let's hope "Blue Boy" wears a different color today.... and doesn't take any of Jake's toys!!! ;-)

Here is little man ready to go to school this morning... I'm sad to report he wasn't TOO excited - partly because he was leaving Mommy and partly because I had to turn off Spider Man!

His "happy face for mommy."

Showing off his Spider Man bookbag...

And looking out the window in carpool...

His poor attempt at 'being a big boy' for mommy!

(And now that I am posting these pictures, I see that he has a red mustache from his juice this morning... oops!!!)

Much better...

Getting out of the car!!!

ALL of the teachers at his preschool are AWESOME... this one ran out to greet him and take him into the building!!!! You think he made a lasting impression last year with all of the tears???????

LOVE them!!!!

Now I have FOUR HOURS 'to myself.'  Do I do what I should be doing, which is work? Do I play on Pinterest and look for projects, recipes, and other various ideas (such a 'time-saver' that is!)? Do I read a book? Do I watch TV? Do I clean up the house? Do laundry? Change beds? Give the dog a bath? Make a list for all of these things I need to do??????? YIKES..... I need to stop typing!!!!

Well, I guess I'll start by blogging ;-), then make my lists!!!!!

Updates and Long Over-due Pics...

Week 2 of Kindergarten is going much smoother than week 1... however, Sam is still exhausted and a bit of a handful in the evenings!!!!!

On Monday, Sam's teacher emailed me (love her for that) and said that he was a little sad, but seemed to be doing better.  And each day has gotten better and better. He seems like he may be a bit lonely at school... he had so many great friends at pre-school, and I think he's a little sad he doesn't have a buddy in his class. Jake and I went to school and surprised him at lunch on Wednesday (I happen to go up there to ask about a shirt, and the lady asked if I was here for lunch.  I said, "No, but can I be?" Apparently you can go eat lunch with them anytime!!! REALLY???? Why didn't I know that last week! Or at the beginning of this week when he was so sad????  Well... it was probably a God thing since he seemed to miss his mommy so much!? Jake and I went and got Happy Meals and went back to meet Sam.  As I signed us in, someone says... "You can't take fast food into the caffeteria!" I pulled the 'I'm a mom with a Kindergartener, and I didn't know' card, so they gave me brown bags to dump the food into..... geez......) Sam was much more informative at lunch than all of his afternoons after school (and our games of 20,000 questions) combined!  And I got a name for a 'friend.' NOW.... to find out his mom's # so I can arrange for a playdate!!! Hahahaha!!!!!

Sam thinks that P.E. is going to be his favorite class (he missed P.E. his first week because he was sick) even though he hasn't been yet... but it's kinda like him loving basketball (!?)... he just knows it's his favorite!?!?

Tonight, I am going to his class for Curriculum Night... I guess we shall see if I can stalk said 'friend's' parents........ OH! And I guess I'll find out what they are teaching my child!!!!!! Sam kept thinking that I was coming back to his class after lunch on Wednesday, so I am hoping I'll be able to start coming in and helping SOON too!!!!!!

So maybe Kindergarten is affecting me more than I thought.... I am a stalking, questioning, stressed, obsessed mother (all qualities I didn't think I would possess) of a KINDERGARTNER... and I'm feeling like my babies are growing up way too fast!  He shouldn't be having to fend for himself so much!!!!!  Such a culture shock.... for me more than Sam, I think!!!

And I am ALWAYS taking pictures of other people's kids... and putting off my kids'/family's pics... SOOO --- I took a couple of my two LITTLE boys this weekend......... ahhhhhh..... moment frozen......

Ugh... guess it's time to keep going.... ;-)