Hooray for Fall!

Yesterday while we were all outside I was swinging Emma in her little bucket seat swing while Ben was going sky-high on his regular one. He asked if he could push Emma and I said "Okay, just not too high, alright?". He said "Okay. Tell me when you get nervous." =-)

We had our first Parent Teacher conference at Ben's school this week. Mrs. Pruett said he is very smart, and he "cracks her up". As suspected, he just needs a little more focus to get his "work" done without help from the teacher or a helper. I think he will easily meet his goals for the year and am glad we went ahead and put him in kindergarten this year.

We started HIPPY home preschool this week for the boys. Jack is so excited to be doing "school" now. On the way home from picking Ben up from school yesterday, Jack said "Guess what Ben?! I did homework like you have!"

Jack woke up with hives this week and I took him to the Doctor. He suspects it is from a big bug bite on Jack's back. It was really scary looking and I was afraid it was chicken pox, even though he has been vaccinated against that. Will try to upload a picture to include. No idea what bug it was.

Emma is quite the shoe girl these days. As soon as she wakes up she makes motions toward her shoes until we give her the pair she wants and then we have to put them on her. She doesn't like not being able to take a nap with them, so we sometimes have to take them off and just put them in the crib with her. I remember my Mom telling a story about me that I had to sleep with my Buster Brown red shoes. Like mother like daughter I guess! She is also talking up a storm. I'm pretty sure she is actually trying to convey meaning. Just wish I could understand what she means.

Ben: "When I get bigger and I die, don't throw me in the trash."

As Rob was putting some screws in the cabinet hardware/doors...
Ben: (holding a screw) I'm helping screw things up!

Overheard from back seat on way home from dropping Ben at school:
Jack: This little piggy went to market. This little piggy went to Walmart.

...Then later, an altered version of London Bridge Is Falling Down:
Jack: Take the key and lock Mommy up, lock Mommy up, lock Mommy up...

Everyday Stuff

The other day I was drawing a bath for Emma. She was at the gate "complaining" because she wanted to come in, so I opened the gate. She came in, went behind the door and got the bath mat that I put in the tub to keep the kids from slipping and handed it to me. =-) She's doing great walking now. She actually looks like she's practicing - just walking until she has to stop and then turns around and goes back the way she came.

Yesterday morning Jack was talking up a storm. In the midst of everything (about breakfast, making toast, etc.) he said "when we were at Memo's house it was dark. Daddy said the earth was spinning". Hard to believe he just turned 3!

Ben seems to like school. He has been hard to wake up the past 2 mornings, so I'm going to try putting them both to bed at 8pm tonight. I'll just do like I do at Mom's house and lie in there with them until they are asleep.

Today I got smart and brought several books with us to pick up Ben. We usually have to sit in line and wait about 15 minutes, so I just read to Jack and Emma while we waited and that helped pass the time and prevented any major melt-downs.

Kindergarten!

Today Benjamin started his first day of school. He is in Mrs. Pruett's class at Prairie Grove Primary School. We took him to orientation last week, so he had already seen his classroom and met his teacher and some of the other kids in his class. On the first day of school, they allow the parents to walk the kids to their classrooms, but Ben said he wanted to do it himself, so I dropped him off at the door and a nice lady (employee) took him inside and got him to the right spot.

Here is the proud boy with his Sponge Bob backpack and lunchbox:

Birthday Boys

Saturday, August 6th we had a pool party for Ben and Jack to celebrate their 5th and 3rd birthdays. Unfortunately Rob was in Little Rock but we got some good pictures!

Ben and his friend Ivy.

Ben with his friend Brayden from preschool and Uncle Matt.

Christi and Mommy with Emma and Jack.

Jack and the new kick board Eric and Christi got him.

The boys getting ready to blow out their candles while Brendon (left) and cousin Havyn (right) look on.

We also had the kids "fish" for party favors. Thanks to Uncle Eric for "hooking" the prizes onto the ends of the fishing poles.