Happy Summer 2019

Hello!


It's already the end of July.  We met friends at Greenfield Village on a cool day.  They are very grown up.

Happy Valentine's Day

Many changes have been going on in the past year.  A big one is that I switched jobs and I work three days a week instead of five.  I'm not at work on Mondays and Thursdays.  Benny really likes me to come into his classroom to help with things.  It's tough to do even working part time.  I made it for his Valentine's Day Party, it's a good thing too.  Due to all the snow days and illnesses there were only two of us helping.   V's class doesn't seem to have parties anymore, which makes me sad.  Benny picked out his outfit himself and I thought it was rocking.  V is almost five feet tall now.  She's wearing MY leggings BTW.    And so it begins....

Also in the picture is Rollie, the kissing puppy.  Benny asked for it and received it at Christmas.  I thought he would never play with it, but he takes it everywhere. 

Happy 2019!!

Yes, we are all still alive.  It's been a very busy year.  V is now 10 years old (!) and Benny is 6.5.  Here's to a great 2019 and more communication!

Halloween (late post)!

I love Holiday shirts ......

We didn't get to take as many fall walks as we have in years past.

Benny and his friend trick or treating.

Downtown Plymouth Trick or Treat.

Greenfield Village Trick or Treat.

We made this house!

Benny-ism

I took the kids to see my BIL that was in the hospital.  He had another surgery for his neuralgia and since we live close to a major medical center, he was near us.

I mentioned something to him about when he was going home.  Benny overheard and said:

"You're never going home!  you're going to stay in that room and they are going to shut the door and lock it!"

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

9 years old!

My eldest child is now nine years old.  Time has went by so quickly.  To me, it seems like she should be around four years old.  It's been a bit of a challenging summer, mostly due to her brother starting Camp with her, but that also has had its benefits as well.

*She loves to read.  She is a quick reader as well.  This summer she read through all the  Weird School Books series.  At camp they had the choice of swimming or visit the library.  She almost always chose the library.

*She has started to physically grow.  She has gotten much, much taller and definately started puberty.  She is so young.  I just can't even deal with it.

*She took an acting class and had a minor part in a play.  We'd love to try community theatre, but rehearsal four times a week is something we just cannot manage as a family right now.  Last year she did dance - tap and ballet, and this year is signed up for tap and lyrical.  She could really use swim lessons and martial arts, but who has the time?

*Last year she qualified on the basis of test scores with 84 other 2nd graders in the district to be invited into the coveted TAG (talented and gifted) program at a special school.  She started there this fall and hopefully will excel and flourish.

*She still is undergoing counseling for ADHD and we've seen more emotional outbursts at home.  I am trying to manage them and assist her and getting what she needs.

*Her favorite activities besides reading are biking, crafts, and creating things (especially potions and the like).

*Her favorite foods are bagels, muffins, and crackers.  Nutrition wise, we could use some improvement.

*Sometimes she amazes me with her intelligence and her questions.  She's so bright, I feel like I need to challenge her more.

* She can be so, so good to her brother.  She takes care of him and talks to him and comforts him.  Other times he is a rival and a bother and she is unkind to him.

Preschool Graduation

When I found out I was pregnant with B, V was attending a very nice (expensive) daycare in town.  I put B on a list for the infant room, which anyone in daycare knows is both expensive and fills very quickly.  I wasn't always the happiest at V's daycare - there was a lot of turnover and I had to pack a lunch.  But it was convenient, clean, there was a gym,  she had a bunch of good friends, and she seemed to be learning.  Two kids there would run upwards of $2400 a month which I thought was silly. 

I found a new daycare that was a home based center.  It was the best of both worlds.  The owners and their son all ran in along with some support staff.  They are licensed for 42 kids and the Pre-K has it own teacher.  They are loving and kind and it's a great environment.  So I moved V there when I was 7 months pregnant with B.  She "graduated" from there and now my B did too.  So sad I won't be seeing those people every day.  They are truly like family.   B started day camp with V this year.  Two weeks in, he's still transitioning from his sheltered environment,  but I like all the activities he gets to do - field trips, playground, library, martial arts.  The lunch packing for two kids is getting old though.    In the fall it's Kindergarten time!!!