One of the great things about my job

I love teaching. There are so many things to love about it like the kids, my teammates and the families. But, today there was another thing to love...CAKE!!! Yes, cake during the school day. As a part of our social studies unit we had 2 bakers come to our classrooms to demonstrate the tools that community helpers use. Love it. I love cake. That's what I said with my bites today. We get cake every day this week! I'm sure by the end of the week, I'm not going to want cake for a while, but for right now...I love it!

Oh my aching feet

It is that time again...time for the Moms of Multiples sale! This is a busy and very tiring week, but a good one at the same time. It is the time where we are able to clean out all of the too small, we-don't-play-with-that-toy-anymore toys and this time, wait for it...we are selling our strollers!!! Yes, it is a big day in our house. The only stroller we have left in our garage is a single stroller. I put out all of my things and then "worked" my shift for the sale. My feet ache after a full day of teaching and then 4 hours of just being on my feet. Oh well though! That's how it goes-if you sell, you have to work. But now I'm done with that and can just shop tomorrow! I'm probably not walking away with much, but it's fun to think about it anyway!

Now I only hope that most of our things sell...

Ok, now we're even

"Bless Anna. Make sure she feels better soon!" This is what C wrote as A was on her way to the hospital to get her stitches on her forehead. Yes, the score is now even with stitches and ER visits with our kids. Today it was A's turn.

Now as I look back on this and as C reads this (someday), he will see that there is no way around it other than to say that it was his fault. Sorry C!! The kids were playing and A was bothering him by being on his back when he wanted a piggy back on J's back. Instead of using his words to tell her this, he pushed her-like many siblings do-and she didn't catch herself. Instead she fell into a shelf and clocked her forehead. She cried and cried. J did a great job of being calm (as usual) for her. After a few minutes, we were able to put a band-aid on it, washed her up, and she and J headed to the hospital.

After they left, C decided that we should probably make a card for A. I asked him what should be on the card and he said, "We should put a heart on it with glitter. Then we should write, 'Bless Anna. Make sure she feels better soon.'" So, that's what we did. It was very sweet.

J said that A did a great job with everything. She was more teary-eyed with the thought of going to the doctor and getting things done to her than she was when she was there. My brave little girl!! She got home and was all smiles-quickly forgiving her brother. That's one of the good things about this age. They are quick to forgive!

But now we're even...and I hope we keep it this way with the score 1-1!

First Day of Preschool

Today was A & C's first day of preschool at their new school. We found out (in the middle of August) that their neighborhood school had a pre-K program available for 4 year olds. Perfect! This was just what I had been looking for earlier in the year, back in the spring. I had been looking because 2 of my other friends had found pre-K programs within their kids' schools they would be attending for kindergarten. I was thrilled to find this at our home school.

A & C were so excited to start the day. They were most excited to go with their new backpacks, truth-be-told. We ate breakfast before we went-they were more than excited to get dressed and move on with their morning activities...after Mommy had to wake them up, of course!

Thanks to their positive attitude in the morning, I was able to snap a few great pictures of them before they left for the day.

As we got to school, they ran to the door and couldn't wait to get to their locker. They got their folders out of their bags, hung their backpacks in their lockers and were ready to start the day! As I was taking a few last pictures, there was a group of 4 year olds that came into the classroom to play until the day officially started. This helped the kiddos get into the room. They bounded in, bells on, ready to start the day with play! I can't imagine a better way, that's for sure!
The kids came home with lots to tell. A was most concerned with telling me about C's interaction with a little girl. Here's about how it went: C took a little girl's coloring sheet, but didn't know it was hers because her name was written so small. He put his name on it and she "got upset," as A put it, with him. It was all sorted out in the end. That was what A had to say about the day...oh-and that only one little boy took a nap, but that it is ok to take a nap because that's what their teachers told them (and Mommy, too!).

C came home telling J all about his favorite things. One of his favorite things was singing "Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes." He also liked that he got to move some letters on the whiteboard. Stories were a favorite of his too. J got a lot more out of him on the ride home than what I got from A! But, I did get one fact from C: "Mommy, I was a little silly today." "Oh, you were Buddy?" "Yeah. They told me two times not to be so silly." "Mmm...so next time, on Wednesday, are you going to be so silly?" "No, Mommy. I won't be." We'll see how Wednesday goes!

I think hot lunch went ok, but of course you never know as the parent. They loved that they had chocolate milk, of course!

All in all, it was great picking up happy kids! There isn't anything better than having kids come running at you at the end of the day with huge, smiling faces. I love happy kids, especially after their first day at a new school!

Such a wonderful cause

Is that phrase used too much? Oh well if it is. Because Abbey's Hope is a wonderful cause. J & I went to the 3rd annual Abbey's Hope benefit dinner tonight. If you don't know Abbey's story, read on to find out more. It is an organization that we love to support and wish we could support more. This year they took it outside to have a "tent party." A huge white tent next to the golf course was the venue for tonight. There was food to be had, bids (silent auction and live auction items) to be made and dancing to be done. J & I enjoyed ourselves and loved hearing all of the things Abbey's Hope has been able to do over the course of the last year. Water safety is the key to their foundation...doing things to prevent accidents. As Katey said, (or something to this effect...) "I could get cancer tomorrow. But I can do something about keeping kids safe in the water today." This is so true. I think about it every time our own kids get in the water. When we were swimming in a pool this weekend I thought about it. I wondered where the drains were and if there were 2 drains. These are just a few of the things I think about from attending a few of the Abbey's Hope events. J & I will continue to support this organization as much as we are able...all in support of "Keeping Kids Safe."

My First "Official" Day at School

Contrary to what you may believe, school didn't really start on Tuesday. Nope...it started today! I suppose that is only if you are me! Remember that sickness I wrote about 2 weeks ago? Well it returned. With horrible timing. I woke up early in the morning on Tuesday thinking I didn't quite feel right. I still didn't-even after finally getting up and having a shower. Still felt yucky. So I ended up finding a sub for the day and went in for the beginning of the day. I had a few kiddos with some tears who later calmed themselves as we got started with the day. You should have seen these eager little faces, all ready for the day. Then I broke it to them...I would have to leave early and they were going to have a substitute for the rest of the day. Picture the happiest faces ever, falling to this look of, "Really? You're really going to leave us on the first day of school?!" It was so heartbreaking to see them looking at me with those puppydog eyes. And those teary-eyed little ones in the morning? Yup...more tears as I told them. Oh! I felt so horrible.

If you know a teacher, you know that most of us don't like to miss school. Really, it's more work to be gone than it is to be there. So then you would know that I really wasn't feeling well that day to have missed the first day of school. Turns out I was really sick. They did different tests and x-rays, and the doctor still didn't really know what was wrong with me. They are treating it as though it is pneumonia, even though the chest x-ray came back negative. But, with a shot and some antibiotics, the combo is doing the trick!

I am feeling much better and loved being at school with my class today. Only one more day left for the week!

Daddy's Duathlon

I am so proud of J!

The last weekend in August he did a duathlon with a few buddies downtown. He had done one last fall, but he definitely trained for this one. We brought along our own cheering section to watch the boys finish. This duathlon was a 5K run, 18 mile bike, and another 5K run. Whew! Overwhelming to me, but he finished and did great! His friends Luke and Derek did it too, and they did great as well! Go Daddy! We are so proud of you!

Rainbow Shirts

Too cute not to share...

These were shirts the kids made at the county fair earlier in August. They love wearing them! A would wear hers every day if we let her. I just love how different they are, but how they really match the colors they love. This night we were listening to a band at a park. The kids enjoyed with a little dancing!

Take me out to the ballgame...

...take me out with the crowd! "Hey Mommy! That's just like the song on the Mickey CDD!" It's true-the Mickey Mouse CD we have in the car is the place our kids learned to sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." It was good practice, though because yesterday we took the kids to their first Twins game! Lesson learned: Double check the starting time of the game, even if you hear the night before it is starting at the time you think. Yup-we didn't do that and we ended up at the stadium about an hour and a half early. With 2 four year olds. Ugh.

The kids were amazed as to how big the stadium was. They loved looking at the field and seeing the big video board where there was something with TC Bear on as we walked in.That being said, we did ok. We watched the legends game with past Twins players (it was the 50th anniversary weekend) first. C then proceeded to ask if the game was over after the first out of the game, at which point J & I looked at each other wondering just how long we were really going to last. We also kept our kids occupied with food. Is that the good parent thing to do? Probably not, but that's the only thing that helped us last! Here's how it went:

*During the legends game: hot dog and a drink

*Kids had snacks Mamma packed for us (all 3 of them)

*2nd inning: Kettle Corn

*5th inning: ice cream sandwiches that C had been asking for since the legends game

*6th inning: nachos for J & me

*8th inning: ice cream for J & me with bites for A & C

Yes, that's how much we had to eat. Hopefully I'm not the only one that has done this with their children. In fact, I'm sure I'm not!

We made a "Circle Me Bert" sign, but I don't think we were circled. Oh well!

The highlight for everyone-or maybe just for J & me-was after the game when the kids got to run the bases.

What a treat! But really Twins, did you have to extend the 9th inning so long? It was more than this little boy could handle! It was really neat to be able to be on the field, walking around the warning track, past the dugouts and behind home plate. The kids liked doing it too-C touched all of the bases, but A didn't touch home plate. They're still trying to figure out what baseball is all about. I'm not sure at what point "running the bases" will be looked at as something "cool to do," but at least J & I have the memory!

I do love having the opportunity to take our kids to things like this. Going to the game this year may have been a little soon with two 4 year olds, but we loved it just the same! Oh...and the Twins did win! "Go Joe Mauer!" (as A said over and over)

Hiatus

Ok, can you tell we're back to school? I've definitely taken a little hiatus from writing. I have many things to write about (if I can remember all of them), but we've been a little busy around here. We have the kids starting a new school next week, we have our first day of school tomorrow (how does that go again?) and just life in general...leaving us feeling a bit busy. So, for those of you who check here to read about our latest happenings, I will do my best to catch up this week!