Mr. Sketch Marker Time!

Huffers Unite!
Yes, the markers we sniffed as kids are back! For only $6 you too can huff your way back to childhood. mmmm...grape!

Nate liked them so much he tried to eat them and then decided to experiment with some body art. Hope he does not get any ideas when he is 18.

Look what I did!

2 white t's from Walmart :$8
1 pack of iron-on printer paper: $7
Creativity: Priceless
All 3: DANGEROUS

hmmm...what to decal next???

Happy Almost Halloween

Yesterday, I decided to try the boy's costumes on them to see where I will need to nip and tuck. They were so funny! Graham kept saying, "You're under arrest! FREEZE!" and blowing his whistle. Blowing and blowing it! The dog was so upset at the whistle and the costumes in general. She would not shut up! Next thing I know, Nate is screaming, "shut up Teetee. Be quiet! Bad dog!" It was chaotic!

A Breakthrough!

This morning while dropping off Graham at daycare, I wanted to talk to the teachers about how Graham was doing at school. The day before he'd told me all about his day, but seemed sad about something. He only gave me a few broken pieces to work with. The teachers said it might have had to do with a craft in discovery and not being able to finish it or thinking he was supposed to share his collage but did not have time???? Not only did it turn out to be nothing big, but the teachers also shared some things of interest to me. They told me he actually read his show and tell to the class. Not only is him sharing with me his day a new thing, but he actually read to the class. Last year, this would never had happened. She showed me a painting Graham did of himself and a worksheet they filled out about themselves. She said that getting him to answer the questions was kind of hard, but he wanted to write them himself. I am sooooo proud of him. Big leaps from last year this time! Maybe he is on the path to opening up. He is so much more expressive now than he was. I told the teacher that he is very reserved and may not talk a lot or even answer their questions, but that I was the same way at school. One of the teachers said that at least he seems to be absorbing it, even if he is on the quiet end. She said we'd probably see more goals being met as the year goes. It is only the 2nd week of school.

(the above pics are the collage we made with his family and favorite things and his show and tell.)

UGHHHHH!

Like pulling teeth! Well, months ago I might have only gotten 1 or 2 details about his day at school. The past week he has been better about it even telling me what other kids did, by name! This is a rare thing for him. I always choked it up to the idea that maybe he was gonna be one of those kids who do not talk about school. I hear I was like that...

Last night he was to "busy" to answer my questions about school. We used to ask him what he did or learned at school and that usually gets an IIIII DONNNNN'TTTT KNOWWWW... Sometimes he actually sings it. I told him last night to at least switch it up on me and give me an "I DON'T REMEMBER". You know, keep things more interesting. I am getting pretty tired of the other. It was pretty clear he did not want to answer, but then I'd have to narrow in and ask more detailed questions. As if him not being about to tell me what an apple was when I'd point to it... and replying, "I don't know!" wasn't clear enough what was going on.

The number 1 reason I thing he just doesn't want to talk is that I could threaten him with time-out and he'd answer me. I found out so much about his day.

He said he was the special helper yesterday. He said he helped clean up the messy room, led the line, and turned the lights off. He said Luke was the calendar helper and that he put an 8 on the calendar. He said they used markers to draw and played with magnets. He told me that magnets stick together. He told me he played on the "slippery" slide and in the sandbox (hence the sand on my floor via his shoes). He was able to tell me what he had for lunch.

I have to learn to take it day by day...

What did I do before...

the video monitor? How did I get by? This is is the most incredible thing ever. Always balked at them before and then never wanted to spend the money. Now that Nate is no longer in his jail of a crib, I needed some reassurance. Garrett and I have had the best time with this cam. The kids do the cutest things in the dark. I especially love being able to yell for Nate to get back in bed and he hops back in like "WHAT!?!?"

Sponge Bob Craze

Oh no!!! I prayed it may never happen.

Time Warner Cable Package $130
2 Sponge Bob Pillow Toys $34
2 Pair Sponge Bob PJ's $18
A four year old learning how to access ON DEMAND... PRICELESS

Big Boy Room

So, we must really be nuts because Nate no longer has a crib. No more jail. No more piece of mind. No, just a bed. After a $300 bed and accessories that totaled to amounts I'm afraid to ponder, they have a big boy room. The boys, particularly Nate were quite bad today and after blood, sweat, tears...and screams, we are done. He has fallen out on his tummy 2 times and tried to jump off of it. My heart! We have rails, but that too is a fun thing for him to try and propel himself from. I am already regretting this... PRAYERS PLEASE. Pray that he does not injure himself more than a few second and ice can't fix... no doctors, dentists, ems... Pray that he does not jump on the bed anymore, no fooling with the things on the wall, no catapulting from the rails... God please no banging his head on the dresser in the process of any of the above mentioned. Bath, motrin, and bed!!!

Carolina Reptile & Exotic Animal Show

We drug the kids to the show sick with colds, but we did not want them to miss this event. We'd missed it 3 years in a row because we'd been going to the lake for Labor Day. There were all kinds of snakes, lizards, and furry creatures. There were pony and camel rides. It cost an arm and a leg to ride, but i figured this camel thing was not gonna be a common occurrence and we'd better take the plunge. They even had kittens and puppies. I'd never heard of puggles and never thought such gorgeous dogs could come from the union of a pug and a beagle.

Here we go again...

Another school year has started. Graham is now in the 4 year old class. After day 2 he seems to like it and the teacher practically gushed over him in the parking lot, which made me feel great! She was so impressed by his reading and other skills. I cannot wait for them to have discovery class because he had a blast there on meet n' greet. The room is decked out in planets. Boy, was he bouncing of the walls and talking away! He is getting so big... I'm so proud of him when I think of what he can do and where we were not even a year ago. The kid is SUPA-DUPA! Now, wish I could say the same about getting up every morning and dragging him and Nate out the door. Every time we leave, Nate has to make a scene. He doesn't want to leave Graham. He wants to stay. I wish we could afford it. Even if we only did a few days it is too much for us this year and he'd flip anyway on the days he was not in class and we had to drop of Graham. Next year Nate!!