Kindergarten Girl

Last Friday was Adelle's Kindergarten Orientation. Together her and I got to go into her classroom, meet her teacher, and spend the morning learning about the kindergarten routine. Adelle was excited to go. On the way there she asked me if she had to keep her shoes on during the whole school day? My girl loves to be barefoot!
Mrs. Hunter is Adelle's teacher. I will be referring to her as "hippie hunter" on this blog. I also refer to her as "hippie hunter" to my husband (because I love to make him laugh)  but not in front of my parrot children. Ever! I love hippies so I think Mrs. Hunter is a good fit for Adelle ;)
Mrs. Hunter likes to use sign language instead of words when she can. She taught us all the signs for; using the bathroom, getting a drink, being done with what your working on, yes, no... This should be really interesting for Adelle who likes to talk, a lot. We will see how this goes. Adelle was teaching Braxton the signs today after school so I think she is into it for now.
Mrs. Hunter likes to play music in her class and dance with her kids. This is right up Adelle's alley once she is in her comfort zone. Mrs. Hunter teaches the kids breathing techniques for handling stress and each table has a lavender ball to be squished when needed. I told you she is "hippie hunter!" I want to be in her class!! Ha!

Today was the official first full day. She was so ready. She wore her cute new corduroy dress that her friend, Gabby, gave her. It was darling on her but the morning was foggy so the sweatshirt is hiding it a bit. 

I made Apple Pancakes for breakfast in school spirit and read the kids "The Kissing Hand," by Audrey Penn. We were kissing hands all morning. Adelle requested I put her hair in pigtails with her barrette on the side. Too cute. 

This morning when we got to the school she started to just get out of the car. I was like, "Adelle, I am going to walk you to class," and she was like, "why? I know where my class is." Funny girl. Never would have known that less than a month ago she didn't even want to go! Hippie Hunter was excited to see us and Adelle found her name and checked herself in. She found her seat at her table and got busy making designs out of the colored wooden shapes. I asked her if it was okay if I left and she stayed at school and she said yes. That's when I kissed her goodbye and got all choked up. I held it together well but it was just that initail, "yeah, I'm fine without you," that always throws me off.... in a good way, though.

Braxton was very sneaky and wrote a note for Adelle this morning to stick in her lunchbox. I thought it was so sweet especially the part about telling him how she feels. 

When I picked up Braxton and Adelle they were basically hand in hand. Braxton said it was his best day of school he's ever had and when I asked why he said, "because Adelle was there!" It was the cutest thing. 

Adelle had a fun day. She's a natural. She liked recess the best and kept her shoes on all day (did you notice her socks in the picture). Adelle said she ate lunch with people she didn't know but she said it was fine. She came home singing the songs she learned in class today and she was excited to tell us that she saw the principal two times and she gave him his secret wave and he waved back. 

The principal of this school is incredible. Like super hands on, happy, fun, enthusiastic. He has this secret wave that he showed all the kids and Braxton taught it to Adelle before the Kindergartners even started school so she was all excited to use it today and for him to respond. 

There is something else really special about Adelle's class. Mrs. Hunter was good friends with Tom Hunter. Tom Hunter was a local musician who wrote and performed songs for kids and also a personal friend.

When I was in Kindergarten Tom Hunter came into my class and helped us write our own song. Our song was about banana slugs and I still remember writing and singing that song. I later became friends with his daughter and he continued to be a positive influence in our community. He passed away too young a few years ago and it was sad to me that my kids wouldn't get to see him sing and play his guitar. When I heard Mrs. Hunter play his music during Adelle's class it made me so happy.

When it is time to go to carpet this song comes on.  Listen to it if you have two minutes. It's just the nicest song ever and I love that Adelle was singing it all afternoon today after school.  I love that when I was in Kindergarten I was blessed with good music by such a good man and now Adelle is, in a way, getting that same experience. Music is so important.

I asked Adelle if she was going back to school tomorrow and she said yes so we are in good shape.

like a boss

I guess that's a song, "like a boss?" Probably not a very appropriate one but I have never actually heard it. I just think it's funny when some of the youth say it and so the title of this post is a bit of a mockery. 

It has been explained to me that "like a boss," means; "the man" or something to that affect and I thought the pictures of Braxton depicted that well. 

So...onto this post!

Braxton had a great day of school. He is so awesome and has been so excited for this day to be upon him. He woke up early, showered, got dressed in his old warm ups with holes in the knees.

I was like, "Braxton, you are not wearing those pants to school on the first day!" Crazy boy. They are his favorite pants but for my own reputation I had him put on something less old/used. 

The boy was all excited for new school clothes and then goes and pulls that one ;)

Braxton requested my homemade biscuits for breakfast and raisin bran, his favorite cereal. So that's what we did. Adelle said the breakfast prayer and prayed that Brax would have a good first day all on her own. It was really sweet.

My mom came over in the morning, by inspiration I think, so I could take Braxton to school and Gage could continue in his needed nap!

He walked into school like a champ. Found his seat and his friend Charlie (Charlie was our neighbor when the boys were babies but this is the first class they have ever had together). Gave me a kiss and that was it.

I sent this note in Braxton's lunch box. Lots of inside jokes contained in here that only he would really get but for posterity's sake, there it is.

The kids couldn't wait to pick Braxton up from school. He had a great day. He was so excited to tell me that his teacher's favorite book is Harry Potter. Score. Also, the 3rd graders were out at recess too so that was fun because he has 3rd grade friends. He said he didn't learn anything but that's because it was the first day. Also he was excited because the parents got homework, but not the kids. He loved the note I sent and told me he read it two times because he liked it so much. happy sigh! Berkely (special female friend from last year) got a note from her mom too.

At recess he played with Charlie for a while, then he found Ty and he played with him and then he found Berkely and played with her. Mr. Congeniality I guess.

All and all it was an excellent first day!

I on the other hand felt like I was running a marathon all day yesterday! I got up at 6:30am and all day was non-stop! When my mom came over at 9:00am I was still in my robe.

Gage, my super baby, had decided to cry most the night Tuesday which was totally out of the blue and left me tired on Wednesday morning. I laid him down for his morning nap an hour early at 8:00am so when my mom called at 8:45 and said she could come over it was a huge answer to prayer.

I left the three kids and drove Braxton up to school.

When I got home I got Adelle ready for her Kindergarten Assesment, nursed Gage who had woken up, and then left again to go back to the school for Adelle's appointment.

Adelle did awesome. The teacher said she was so funny how she would do her letters, sounds... and then sporadically comment on how much she liked the teachers outfit/shoes. Funny girl.

When I got home I realized that I hadn't eaten. My mom left and I got the kids lunch (in their lunch boxes because they wanted packed lunches since they saw me pack Braxton's) and then I poached myself an egg and made myself a piece of toast.

Well, here's what happened next. Walking Sprinting to my seat to sit down for my brunch and my egg slides off my toast and lands splat on the ground. I wanted to cry... but instead I got down on my hands and knees and licked it up like a crazy mom/wolverine. Just kidding, instead I took a picture and then cleaned it up.

So that's it I guess. Moral of the story...don't waste your time making yourself something to eat because... splat!

summer bucket list

I set myself up for success this summer by only putting one item on our bucket list.... to take my kids on a city bus ride!!

Mission accomplished!!

I knew our summer would be busy with camping, the beach, Bryce and Chelsey's wedding, adjusting to Emmett’s glasses, getting Gage on a schedule… so the only other thing I really insisted we do is ride the city bus into Bellingham for a picnic.

I remember riding the city bus as a kid and I always really enjoyed it. Plus, I think there are a lot of teaching opportunities that present themselves when you step out of your box and do something a little different.

So my friend Jama and her crew joined us a couple weeks ago for the big excursion. 

It was awesome!!
The kids were stoked.

The ride was not too long, not too short (thanks to Jama's husbands kind advice).

The people on the bus were nice and friendly.

The bathrooms at the bus station were super nice and easily accessible (much appreciated!!)

I must say though, those bus drivers drive like maniacs. The kids were all excited to not wear a seatbelt and I was holding on for dear life!!

I love how grown up Brax looks in all these pictures. My big 2nd grader looking all old!!

The only bummer part was walking back up to Jama’s after the ride home. Braxton said he didn’t feel so hot and sure enough, he threw up in Jama’s bathroom as soon as we got to her house. Poor guy!! Like I said, the bus drivers were crazy! The back of the bus didn’t agree much with his stomach!!

Ok, school, you can start now. We’ve had a full, full, full of fun, summer!!

the backyard gang

the backyard gang has friends over often and even more often snacks on apples from the neighbors apple tree, yum yum!

the backyard gang gives each other rides in the wagon, around and around and around, fun fun!

the backyard gang hang out together on the hammock reading books or just chilling out, sun sun!

and sometimes napping

(note: this day we were all so tired after vacation and Braxton insisted he didn’t need a nap. Well look where we found him!!)

the backyard gang loves, loves, loves the fresh tomatoes off the vine and knows where to find them, love love!!

sweetest girl…ever!

 

My heart is bursting lately. I can’t get over the fact that my little sweet girl is starting kindergarten in 2 short days.

I know I have said it before but I love this little lady so much and being her mother is the greatest joy. Adelle loves with her whole being. She is a mover and a shaker and I feel so blessed and humble to be the lady she calls her mom.

Adelle is sweet and kind. She is often curious and she learns a lot of lessons the hard way but she is truly a good girl with the sweetest, most kindest heart. She is always looking for ways to help me. She is always finding flowers/weeds outside and putting together arrangements for our dining room table to be beautiful. She is always getting into my makeup and dolling herself up. She is always the brave one who does whatever either of her brothers tells her to do…

Just today I was working on painting a mirror in the garage. I came in to feed Gage only to see Adelle and Emmett come walking in a few minutes later, being mildly scolded by their father. I asked Jeff what happened and apparently Adelle had convinced her brother that the mirror was “the stage” and they were dancing on it in the garage. I went out to find it completely dirty (thankfully not cracked to pieces). Shortly after that Adelle came out on her own and was cleaning the mirror with a baby wipe. She is always the first to make right after she has done something wrong and that’s what I love about her. She doesn’t ever think she’s a bad person, she just realizes she’s messed up and she tries to make it right. Always with a smile and a forgiving heart.

It’s funny that in our family Adelle does get into the most trouble but at the same time she is so far my easiest child. She is quick to love, quick to make a mistake, quick to learn, and quick to get over things. The other day I was teaching the kids how to braid to make some friendship bracelets. Her and Braxton and Emmett and I were attempting this. Finally I got rid of the thread and I gave them each 3 pipe cleaners. Duh! Way easier when learning to braid. I must have told Braxton what to do 10 times. He is like me, totally visual, so here I am showing him and repeating myself over and over on the instructions. All of a sudden Adelle comes over from across the room with the whole thing braided. I asked her how she knew what to do and she said, “you said it so many times to Braxton I was just listening!” That’s how she is. She has a great memory, like remembers everything, and is super observant.

When I found her in the bathroom last week and asked her why she was washing her hair in the sink she said, “I don’t know.” When I asked her if she was being honest she said, “no.” Then she proceeded to tell me that she had put lipstick in her hair to make it pink. Ha. I had to text our cute little teenage friends and tell them they were in big trouble. They dye their hair pink with kool aid and my little girl had noticed and was giving it a try, in her own way.

Is it bad that I don’t want her to go to kindergarten?? I know she is going to love it and I know she will do awesome but there is this simple innocence that she has so much of and I never want her to loose it. She wears the craziest things, and she thinks they are fashionable. She does her hair ridiculously and she loves it. She dances around, sometimes, instead of walking she just twirls. She listens to everything and picks up on even the slightest lead. She is so, so, kind and sometimes girls at school aren’t.

It’s taken her a while to want to go to school. She would say before that she just didn’t want to go. She thought it would be too hard. The girl isn’t one for busy work and she thinks it’s a drag so we will see how this works out. We have been talking about going to school all summer, practicing wearing pants and shoes, and preparing ourselves for what fall will bring.

We went on a walk today, just Adelle and I. She walked most the way and then her legs got tired so she got on my back. Will she still let me give her piggy back rides when she goes to school? I was talking to her about school and she said she was ready. She said that she knows at least she will have one friend there, her brother Braxton. She told me Braxton was her brother and her friend and I told her that she was lucky to have such a good big brother to go to school with.

Jeff gave all the kids special blessings tonight for the school year and Adelle’s really tugged on my heart strings. She is ready for the world and has been since the day she was born. I am so thankful for a girl who is so teachable and excited to live. I just hope I can keep up with this little ball of fire!!