cute stories

while reading stories to Kal tonight before bed, I said "we need to get to bed early b/c you only have 4 more days and then break and then KINDERGARTEN!" He hangs his head and says "I can't do it" I asked "why buddy; what's wrong with kindergarten?" Kal: "I'll be in the same class as Sammy and they'll want me to be nice. I can't be nice enough for kindergarten." I tried not to smile. I told him we have have all summer to work on it.

While sewing a rather difficult pattern for an animal tonight, I realized (as I turned the animal right side out) that an unfortunate fold in the fabric made it anatomically correct. Kurtis got a good chuckle out of the experience

Sam and Iz just got home from their last day of school. My Sam who had never passed a spelling test in his life till mid-way this year came home with an A/B Honor Roll Medal and a gift certificate for making the AR 100 point club! Woohoo! My Sam! And sweet Izzy, who has struggled with reading and started the year with a "0.9" STAR score (which means 0 yrs, 9 months-kindergarten level) finished with a 2.3 (2nd grade, 3 months). This is HUGE! So proud of my sweet babies!

A portion of Kal's exit interview for preschool:

Sam's super month of May

Not only was May Sammy's birthday but he also had a "Super hero" themed choir concert, his choir sang the National Anthem at a Dayton Dragon's game and he was awarded Student of the Month for his fourth grade class.  We had a great time going to all those events and Sammy felt special.

This is the cape I made for Sammy's costume.  I also made him an eye mask.

The highlight of the ballgame for Izzy was when a player from the away team reached over the fence and gave her a ball he caught in the outfield.  She was so happy and carried it around all night.  She wouldn't let me take her picture with the player but we did go over and say thank you.

May beginners

The month of May is always crazy busy and I feel like I can't keep up with it all. This year was no different.  Once we had the first weekend in May celebrating Sam's birthday and Kal's Opening weekend in t-ball, we moved right along to school programs, Mother's Day celebrations, concerts, preschool graduation and so on.  Here are some of those things.
Izzy had a 2nd grade program and I wasn't sure how she would do with it because she gets so shy but she really did a great job up front and even was in a special group that played instruments for the whole 2nd grade.  Her classroom teacher and her music teacher both commented about how much she'd grown and we were all impressed with how she did that day.  It was great to see her shine!

The past few weeks were super funny when Zeke decided to dress himself.  We even left the house to go to the Mother's Day Preschool event and I forgot to check his shoes.  Not only were they two separate shoes but they were both left shoes.

Kal's preschool had a Mother's Day brunch and it was a lot of fun.  Kal painted me a brick and had a poem that talks about being a foundation. It was cute.

What a weekend!

I've realized that I'm so much better at posting on facebook than I am on my blog.  For instance, I didn't blog about having pneumonia or breaking my finger and let's be honest, who wants to hear all that?  But it would great to keep it record for my kids, which is why I do this?  But anyway, so I want to be better about that so here is my details from our very busy weekend.
Sam's 10th birthday is actually on Monday but b/c we knew Kalen was starting t-ball on Sat, we thought let's do Sam's party with friends on Friday night so it's done and doesn't have to be scheduled around ballgames.  Sam totally asked for a ninja birthday party....again!  We did it last year.  SAM-urai birthday parties you know?!  But I couldn't do it the same as last year b/c that's lame.  So onto pintrest I went to get some ideas.  And super budget items too!  Games included: 1. "Wrap your ninja in under a minute" (take a roll of streamers, time them for a minute, and watch the partner wrap that ninja!)  It didn't take a super long time but they had so much fun wrapping and then busting out of it!  2. Write your ninja name.  Someone had a copy of this online and we went right off of it.  It was so funny!  3. Ninja obstacle course (where they had to run through inner tubes while being pelted by nerf guns, shoot throwing stars at inflatable ninjas, and use a pool noodle turned ninja sword at the punching bag ninja!)  Super cheap ideas!  4.  Last but the highlight of the night, Grandpa Eber put up the rope bridge he has made for his Scouts and we all, me included, walked the rope bridge.  Sam was super scared and quit the first time but at the very end of the night with everyone getting ready to leave, he gave it another shot.  I was so proud of him!
The party favors were ninja headbands that I sewed and painted their names on, pool noodles cut in half to make short swords, and my nephew made throwing ninja stars out of origami.  Sam had a great time!

We got to bed pretty late Friday night but had to be up and out the door at 8am for Opening Day for T-ball.  Kalen insisted that he did not want to walk in a parade b/c "people will look at me."  He fought us on it all Friday but Sat morning off he went with Daddy.  And boy, did he walk!  He loved it.  Walked with his coach, ran to the front of the team, came to the side to give me a hug!  He ate it up!  He even told Daddy that his favorite part of the day was his parade!
We got to head home after the parade, where Mom promptly passed out for 3 hrs and then we were back to the fields at 3:30pm for his first t-ball game ever!  They did coach pitch 3 times to give the kids  a chance to hit it.  If that didn't work, then they went to the tee.  Kal batted last for his team in the first inning and he hit the ball without using the tee!  He was so excited and he got to run around all the bases b/c he was last (most of the kids move one base at a time).  He did a great job and seemed to enjoy it.  Of course, I forgot the sunblock and Sam was in pants and a long-sleeved shirt but we learned our lesson.  Everyone will sleep good tonight!

the joys of being a stay at home mom!

Yesterday my mom went with Zeke and I to get groceries.  I hadn't been grocery shopping in awhile except for essentials like milk and bread so we loaded up two carts (with a toddler) and made good work of it.  As we were leaving I told Mom we were going to Tim Horton's.  She asked why and I explained that I find it unfair that Kurtis gets to have work luncheons and parties when someone has a birthday or switches to a new contract.  So Zeke, my mom, and I had an "executive lunch" at Tim Hortons.  Much business was discussed and we accomplished a lot.  That's seems fair, right?

On the way home from preschool today, the conversation from the back of the van went like this:
Kal: upon seeing a semi truck "Mom, look!  That truck looks just like Optimus Prime only he doesn't have cargo!"
Me: "Kal, it is missing its trailer.  That is called a truck cab."
Kal: "A truck cab.  Okay, Optimus is just a truck cab."  (in the next breath) "Look Mom!  A garbage truck!"
I love that he picks up on so much.

Also on the way home from school,
Kal: "Mom, will you roll down my window."
Me: "Okay, just this once."
Kal: "Put your hair out the window.  See!  Like me!"
I glance back and his head is leaning against the window so his "hair" can blow in the wind.

Last, but not least, I'm on the computer and Zeke is digging in the bathroom.  He moves to the living room and I figured he's found something on TV interesting.  I go in to see what he is up to and he has smothered KY jelly all over his hands and arms!!  I'm dying laughing!  So not what I was expecting this morning :)

kid-isms

reading through Kal's portfolio of work during preschool parent-teacher conf and the question is "What do you want to do when you grow up?" Ka's response: "be a kid again"

conversation from the back of the van on the way home from church:
Sam: "When I turn 18 and go on a mission, I will miss you."
Dad: "we will miss you too but it will only be for a little while."
Sam: "That's true."
Kal: "When I'm 16, I'm going to be a GI Joe and I will miss you. But I will be busy fighting the bad guys to visit. Oh, and I can come home and live with you when I'm 90"
Dad: "Yes, you are welcome to live with us when you are 90."
I don't know where they get this stuff.

after singing last night, Sam said "I'll give you a 7 out of 10"
I said "70%! that's a C!"
Sam: "Well, I gave everyone else a 5 out of 10 so a C is looking pretty good!"
My kid 

Kalen the storyteller

On the way home from preschool today, Kalen, Zeke and I passed a construction/city crew working on digging a hole outside a local business.  When I asked Kalen what he thought they were doing, his story went something like this:
Kal: "They are digging a hole into the sewers to hunt for mouses."
Me: "They are hunting mouses?"
Kal: "Yes, they will send cops down there to get the mouses."
Me: "We should call Papaw and ask him if cops really hunt mouses.  I'm pretty sure they don't do that."
Kal: "Not Papaw cops but cops like Uncle Joe and a few others.  Papaw is the leader of the cops and he has to stay at the base.  Maybe another cop stays with him so he has help but all the others go with Uncle Joe to hunt the mouses."
(Little point--Papaw is a RETIRED police officer and Uncle Joe is a patrolman which is where I think he was differentiating them.)
Me: "So the cops go into the hole to kill the mouses?"
Kal: "No.  They don't kill the mouses.  They just get them out of the sewers.  Ninja turtles can live in the sewer but not mouses."

And no, I didn't bring up Splinter from TMNT!