I Get to Go to School Today!

Hurray, Hurray, Hurray! Kyle before his first preschool class

This is the poem we learned from Lance's Kindergartin class, and kept repeating Tuesday morning as Kyle got ready for his first day of Speech Preschool. Kyle has been wanting to go to school since his brothers began. I remember one day that I told him how much I love having him home with me and when I asked him if he loves it too, I got a, "No! I want to go to school!"
Kyle was in a Mommy and Me speech class in Utah for the last 2 months that we lived there that I absolutely loved. The teachers were phenomenal and everything they did had to do with the sounds they were working on that day.
So after contacting the school district here and going through a series of testing hearing, vision, and speech, he received a Missouri IEP (Individualized Education Program) stating that he qualified for this speech class with 3 other boys his age with similiar speech impediments. It is twice a week for an hour and a half. There are 4 students and 2 speech pathologists. They have circle time, centers, and all the regular preschool gadgets, only the focus is on articulation of speech. It is in the same school district as his brothers, so they are all on the same schedule, making things really great for mom :)
Plus, Cami loves it, too, because we go shopping instead of going home, since it's 15 minutes away. I have yet to learn about all the great stores in this neighboring town. :)

Yay for great programs!

Hurray, Hurray, Hurray!

Sweet Music

This music is amazing. It is called "Gracie's Theme" from the album, "Sacred Piano". I want this CD for Christmas if anyone in my family wants to know (hint, hint). It's been out for a while, but I was just browsing on the composer, Paul Cardall's website just now. He was here in St Louis last week visiting a girl at SL Children's Hospital with Congenital Heart Disease, which he was also born with.

I had the privilege of hearing one of Paul Cardall's firesides with my mom about 10 years ago in Utah and knew I wanted to hear more. Years later, I got to know Paul's mom through working with her in the Relief Society Presidency. She was our Stake Relief Society President, and was such a joy to work with and cry with. I love her! For Christmas, she gave me her son's CD, "The Christmas Box", along with the book, "The Christmas Box" by Richard Paul Evans. (Another fav book I have!) And if you haven't read or heard either of those, I highly recommend them. In fact, if you're my neighbor, I'll give you one for Christmas, 'cuz I have a whole box of them that I bought just for the occasion :)

I know I may be sounding like an advertisement, but I really like both of these artists' work. Paul Cardall also just came out with this new book. The following quote is a press release about his latest book titled, "Before My Heart Stops".

"Doctors told four-time Billboard charting pianist Paul Cardall without a heart transplant he would die. And if he was fortunate to live long enough to receive one, he would most likely not survive the surgery.

...Tens of thousands of fans offered support, but it was the love of his three-year-old daughter that motivated him to endure countless painful procedures which gave him a second chance at life....

Cardall now shares his story in a new book, Before My Heart Stops, offering insights and wisdom into matters of love, gratitude, overcoming trials, and fulfilling your destiny. After reading his story, you may ask yourself, “what do I need to do before my heart stops?”

P.S. "Living for Eden" is also another really great album that he wrote and I really like but don't have yet ;)

"A Bite, Dad! Bite, Bite!"

Cami absolutely would not be ignored while Jared was enjoying his icecream tonight. She knows how to get what she wants.

First Trip to Botanical Garden

This month's Relief Society Meeting was at the St Louis Botanical Garden, where the kids and I visited this morning for the first time.

I cannot believe this photo is actually one that I took. We got to stand by a real live banana tree.
Kyle's checking to make sure that Rex doesn't see us.

This spot would have been great to stay and get more photos at, but we had to keep moving! We had a couple of soccer games to get to!

Photogenic dude. This smile reminds me of picture day at school. I ask him what they said to get him to smile and he told me, "Give us your best smile!" and showed me a smile, something like this.

Kyle is into a "spikey hair" look these days.

I wish we could have stayed longer! It is free to go on Saturday mornings, so we will definitely have to do this again when soccer season is over.

A Short, Forgiveable Farewell

I remember...

Without fail,
In rain,or Shine,Cami's pigtails brightened anyone's day...

I remember when her hair was just getting long enough to play with.Irresistible loops!Kyle loves her so much, too. I'm guessing he must love her pigtails so much that...

He could just keep them, in her helmet, hidden, under a blanket in her room. They will be missed!

(Jared found Kyle in the act, and told me to grab the camera. I didn't get a picture in time for the action; Kyle was otherwise occupied by the wall in a time out. He is grounded from scissors, and for the rest of that afternoon he, "didn't get to do anything fun!" It is a good thing that Kyle is so easily lovable and has a pair of irresistable, fluffy, kissable cheeks!)

Lance's Birthday

Birthday Morning before school: Lance is wearing the shirt he really wanted me to make for him with Sharpie markers to match one of Kyle's, also marker-made. Jace is being like mom, too busy worrying about their masks to put his own on. I've done that with sunblock too many times. Lance's Birthday turned out to be "a Super, Duper, Plooper Day". As he wrote in his Kindergartin class's Birthday journal:

("I had a batman party. We played batman, ran around my house, ate cake, opened presents, had soccer practice. It was a SUPER DUPER PLOOPER DAY. By, Lance")

When they got here, his friends climbed through the "bat cave", got their capes and decorated masks on, and after running around like wild batmen, they played a few games like "Mr. Freeze" - when the music stops. I didn't even know there was a Mr. Freeze in Batman, but then, the last time I watched Batman was in '89. Hey, I'm one up on Lance, who hasn't seen any of them! He just wanted this party because his friend and our neighbors had one that was really fun back in Utah. That was almost a year ago. Ah, good memories...

Speaking of which, when I was finding batman music on the internet, I remembered the "Batdance" music by Prince. Do you remember that? I would have used it for Lance's party if it didn't have inappropriate stuff in it. I was so bummed. Such a catchy beat. Made me want to start dancing at 1 am when I was finding it.

Anyway, thanks to my sister, Jamie, I was able to find some appropriate batman music from the 60's. It was great. Thanks, Jamie :)

Anyways, playing "Follow the Joker"Waiting in line to-Pin the Bat on BatmanKyle was smallest, so he got first hit at the pinata. Turned out that he got the only hit while it was still in the air. So each kid got a turn beating Batman while he lay on the ground. Whoever thought of making the hero of the party a beating target? Seems like it should be the bad guy, but then that doesn't encourage good or praiseworthy feelings, either. I told Jared that maybe next time we'll go back to beating homemade soccer ball pinatas (his BD last year). At least they would last longer.

(Lance's birthday last year with his cousins, at the cabin - miss those times!)

Later, I found the label on Lance's shelf that got taken off the pinata when filling it. It said: "Pull-String Pinata: A safe, fun party activity! Ask each child to take a turn and stand under the pinata, select a ribbon, and pull it. Only one ribbon opens the hidden door and releases the goodies."

I still think the kids had more fun beating the dude on the ground.

Partyin' friendsMommy and Batgirl

Happy Birthday, my super duper 6 year old!

Which Day Was That?

"Lance, when is your birthday?"

"After the tomorrow day happens. The tomorrow day, and then that tomorrow, the other tomorrow is going to be my birthday."

Storytime

I love this: It's bedtime, and Dad is reading to his future hunters the story, "The Dancing Deer and the Foolish Hunter".

We Have a Violinist

Jace came home one day and said he wants to be in the 5th Grade Orchestra! So as soon as we could leave the kids home with Jared ( about a week and a half later), we went to the music store and rented this violin. He can already play the beginning of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star!" A friend in his orchestra class taught him.
He remembered playing with his Grampa Gilland, and he also took a bit of piano lessons from his Gramma. So I had to pull this out:I made this a while back for my parent's music room. Jace is 5 years old, playing a violin duet with his Grampa Gilland, then listening to them both, then making music with his Gramma Kimmy, who is a talented pianist and teacher of many years.

Hurray for music and talent in the genes!

Jace's First Soccer Game of the Season

Dribbling away.

The game didn't turn out the way Jace would have liked, but it's the fun and experience that counts, right? Daddy went exploring with the kids while I got to sit back and enjoy the game. It was so nice to have Jared with us during the game. When I told him it would be great if he could work his schedule so he could be with us for all the games, he just laughed at me.

The End. The key to good photography is getting the best angle. At least I had it right for Kyle's shorts that he put on backwards.

It's a Monarch Poo-pa!

Kyle found it one day on our green bean bushes, then lost it. The following day, Lance found it again, among the same green bean bushes. He was so excited to have "the one that found it" privileges. They used a timer to take 5 minute turns with the "poo-pa", as Kyle called it after we looked at and learned about the life cycles of a butterfly.

Taking Turns