Sorry it's been so long

There has been plenty going on. Summer is in full swing. Trevor is loving (as am I) the parks program. The "teachers" even gently reminded me that if I wanted to sign Trevor up for the Twins' game as one of the Wednesday field trips, that the deadline was fast approaching. The reason they suggested it was because he talks about the Twins a lot. Yeah, I guess he does. It is either that or Mario or even occasionally Zelda. I did have to ask Trevor if he would have preferred to go to the summer class or the parks class for that week, and yes because of the Twins game, he picked the summer class.

So with my class schedule, wanting to enjoy the outdoor weather, playing with the kids, keeping up with homework, and making sure we get all the things done before school starts again...ACK. Not much time for other things.

I have started the potty training process with Gwen. I'm kind of at a loss as to how hard to push it because we have a trip for the 4th, but I also don't want to go backwards. We have already had our first success and sticker on her sticker chart. But she isn't as predictable as I thought she would be. Maybe it is because we don't have as much of a predictable schedule as during the school year. Or perhaps because against my better judgement, I decided to try it even when she got smacked with a bad cold. In general she hasn't been a happy camper the past few days.

Baseball is down to one practice and one game left. Golf is only on week 3 of 7. I will always remember that in retail terms, after the 4th of July comes......get ready for it.....back to school! I'm not sure if Trevor remembers our first school shopping day last summer. I don't even know how much we are going to have to get "new" this year. I don't know that he needs a new backpack. There isn't a whole lot that is on his list. I had to get him a lunch "box" for this summer program since he eats there. But I have a feeling it is really going to sneak up on us.

I'm probably going to start asking for more information about preschool for Gwen. I know the director knows I am interested, but I do want to know what the situation is in terms of openings. I guess we'll just have to see how it all works out.

Oh, I guess I should make note of the fact that last weekend we saw Toy Story 3. MAN did I cry and cry and cry. I am such a nut for Disney Movies. I cried the first few times of Princess and the Frog as well. I guess it is because those really are the only movies I watch these days. If I Netflix something it is usually a TV show that I don't have a chance to see.

So as long as the weather doesn't get cold any time soon, we are doing well. After the first week of summer transition, Trevor has been doing much better. Hopefully we can keep this good streak going. That kid LOVES to be outside, so really things have fallen into place so nicely for us. Who would have thought way back when we bought this place that we would have ended up where we are today?

A Happy Heart

Well, we've been pretty busy lately, mostly due to my homework demands trying to be fit in with everything else. And the weather forecasts have been dead wrong lately so it has been hard to plan anything.

Friday started the weekend with an early golf lesson for Trevor. They got an hour to play 3 holes and we needed every minute of it. They even shortened the holes way down. Trevor has really gained some power in the last year, and when he gets a hold of the ball, he can really send it a ways. I think he has even developed a much better touch for putting than he has previously. The rules for junior golf are that they cannot have more than 7 shots on the fairway and 5 putts, for a total of 12 on each hole. Trevor didn't really like getting big numbers since he knows "par" and what it means, but it was cute to see another player convincing him that it was ok.

There are a total of 6 kids in his "league" and after their 3 holes, the pros give them lessons for about 45 minutes. Then they get a treat and a snack. This week it was a mini bat with the Twins' logo on it.

Saturday we decided to head out to the Como Zoo for a family zoo day. The forecast was bright and sunny in the mid-70s. It rained on the way out there, and was overcast the entire time we were there, maybe hitting 70 degrees. We did see all the animals and even went through the carnival area. The whole place has changed a lot since we were there last. Must have been 5 years ago or so? We got there close to opening time so we could find a parking spot and the crowds wouldn't be too bad. Mission accomplished. The outside walking was done when Trevor wanted to do the water balloon wars. I got some nice pictures of that. So on our way out we hit the Conservatory. Surprisingly neither kid fell asleep on the way back. Gwen did take a nice nap that afternoon too.

So for Father's Day, we gave Russ the home made cards, and the store-bought cards. Weather forecast was calling for scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. I had made a family tee-time for 4:00 in the afternoon. I knew Trevor would enjoy it, and decided to try to bring Gwen along as well, for however long she would last. The weather was hot and sunny. Nice job weather forecasters. I knew I wasn't going to be playing golf because Gwen would need wrangling. She wasn't really even interested in trying to hit the ball, or putt. The most interesting part was the coolers containing water. Our course has a lot of them. On the 1st hole, on the 2nd hole, on the 4th hole, a half-way house in the 5th hole where we got treats and drinks, then on the 7th hole. I took Gwen in for dinner and let the boys continue for the back 9. I was right, Trevor enjoyed and played the entire 18 holes. To top it off, yes, he did play from our course's junior tees which makes the holes shorter, but he played our 4th hole in 6 shots. I VERY commonly make a 6 on that hole as well. He had 3 shots in the fairway and 3 putts.

Russ will tell you he had 3 opportunities for a chip-in eagle, and played one of his best rounds. Gwen and I ended with the boys on the last 3 holes. Perhaps, if the weather is nice, we can make this a Father's Day tradition. Some day, hopefully Gwen will want to play with us, or at least last through most of the round.

Then today, Trevor started his parks program. I dropped him off at 9am and they can go until 4pm. I told him I was going to pick him up at 1pm today to see how he likes it. I'm hoping he knows a kid or two from school. I talked with the adults at the park and they filled me in as to how it all works. It really put my mind at ease that they know what they are doing. There are at least 5 adults and probably 15 or so kids. The kids range in age from 6-12. I do admit, that I drove by at about 10am to see what was going on, and the kids were playing some kind of game over the tennis fence by throwing a ball back and forth and trying to catch it. Even if it rains, they have board games or other indoor activities for the kids to do. I think I only saw one girl kid there. This sort of thing is for the active kid. When Gwen is 6, Trevor will be 10 so they both can do this together, but I'm not sure if she will want to or not. It is a very inexpensive option, so maybe we'll have to try it out. I'll learn more about it when I pick him up this afternoon.

All of these things lead me to have a happy heart. It has been nice to create great memories with the family.

I know it is summer vacation, but

Really, does sleep have to be SO messed up for both kids? Trevor had Vacation Bible School this week, with Golf lessons today (Friday). On Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, Trevor was talking in his sleep and woke up a few times at night. He didn't come and get me, so it wasn't that bad. I asked him if he remembered waking up last night and he said he did, and that he just realized it wasn't morning and went back to sleep. I thought maybe he was getting a cold, but nope. Then Gwen woke up at 5:00am on Thursday morning and started belting out the songs from Princess and the Frog. She did go back to sleep after she wore herself out but oh my. It was a rough week for sleep.

We had a packed week full of activities, and it was obvious that Gwen wants to be right there with Trevor. We have already been talking about the possibility of preschool this September for her, so I think in her mind, she is as old as Trevor, since Trevor is going to school now. Trevor had two baseball games, Monday and Wednesday night. I had golf on Tuesday evening. Russ came home safe and sound on Thursday evening. The week flew by. This morning was pretty early for Trevor as we had to be at the golf course before 8am. We made it and it was great weather, he seemed to have a great time, and learned a lot.

Hopefully the weather will stay warm for the next few weeks so I can take Gwen to some free water parks this week. We'll have to see. Trevor starts his parks program and gets to see Toy Story 3 on Wednesday. I hope he enjoys it. We'll have to see how much he likes the parks to see how much he goes this summer. I hope he at least finds a friend there. That will make it better.

We counted, and there are 11 weeks left for summer vacation. To Trevor, it sounds way too short. Because he thinks September is 3 months away, it should be longer than 11 weeks. But with all we have going on, those 11 weeks are going to be done before we know it. Come on good weather!

The darling daughter

I've decided it is much harder to compare where a 2 year old has come in the last year, than it is a 6 year old. Her ECFE teachers talked about how the whole class full of kids has changed from playing independently to starting to play with each other. In that respect, Gwen certainly does not act her age. She has some of her own friends that are closer in age to her, although she thinks any friend, at whatever age, is her friend. You can always hear her talk about "my Sam", or even "my Bubba", or "my Derek". I know Trevor did it a lot too, in that he always thought whenever someone came over to visit, it was always to play with him. Perhaps we perpetuated this thought because that was primarily why people would come over to our house.

I also have to admit that Gwen's love of Tinkerbell and the princesses has happened mostly because of the things that I let her watch, or buy her toys, or surround her with activities. She has fairy and princess books, dolls, stickers, movies, songs, shirts, pajamas, and the list could go on and on. She will occasionally play with some of Trevor's toys that we got him for her age, but they don't seem to hold her interest like the traditional girl toys do.

Her sleeping pattern is very different than Trevor. Trevor still is an early riser. Gwen sleeps late and goes to bed later if she is well rested. She is also very difficult to wake up and get going. But overall her mood is always very loving and touchy-feely.

She has her own way of doing most things. Unlike Trevor, she has to do everything all by herself. While there are many things she can't quite do all by herself, she still wants to give her input. I am rather shocked at how her hair thing is going. I really like her long hair, so I can put her hair in pigtails for special occasions. But one day, when I did the pigtails, she asked for it the next day, and the next, and the next. This has been going on now for at least a month now. Oh well, it is giving me good practice. I never was very good at doing my own hair and didn't have a sister to practice on or teach me how to do it.

I wonder if she still remembers a time when she had a nuk. She has dolls that have them, and knows what they are, and pretends sometimes to put them in her mouth, and even one night she asked about them. I told her they were gone, and she was fine with that explanation, but I guess I was wrong about her security of needing them. Trevor still takes to his "blankie" although he never seemed to need it until within the last few years. It is pretty obvious now that Gwen's security object of choice is my LiveStrong yellow bracelet. I now have a stash of a bunch of them, for if they get lost, or broken, but she sure loves to talk about and rub them against her skin. She also loves to point out whenever someone has the same bracelet. "Look mom! He has mamma's bracelet too!" But what is really strange is that she doesn't need it to go to bed. If she sees it, she will ask for it, and there are times where I can tell she needs it before she can go to bed, so she will ask for it, but if she is tired, she can still get to bed fine.

I would say that she is like Trevor in that she is very confident in new situations. However, I do think she takes her cues from other people. If Trevor is involved in some way, she wants to be right there with him, having a conversation with anyone around. If it is a place she should be familiar with, she is completely fine. She loves anything called "school" and I know once we introduce her to things like dance or gymnastics that even though she hasn't heard or seen anything about them before, she will still love it and adapt quickly. The only thing I'm pretty sure she is hesitant about is the doctor and dentist. I'm pretty sure she still has memories of her previous shots, and associates those bad feelings with the doctor.

I think she feels like she wants to have someone to boss around like parents do to their kids and older siblings do to their younger siblings. So when she plays with her dolls and babies and such, she always makes the same whining noises she does for me, and then tells the baby that she will get a time out if she does not stop the noise. Or she will have to go to bed. While the act itself is hilarious to listen to, it is not fun for me. Primarily because when she is doing this, it is a LOT of the time, so I never get a break from actually not hearing the noise, whether or not it is directed at me. And also, hearing that noise immediately puts me on alert. I often hear it and wait to hear if it is accompanied by a painful cry or some other "danger" cry that can sometimes happen if a fight or something else is going on. I'm glad I have that mom-instinct, but it really stinks at times when it doesn't need to happen.

Because of her behavior it is so hard to remember that this little girl is only 2. She comprehends so much and is not even close to the deliberately disobeying stage, so I have to soak it in and let her be a little girl before she grows up too fast. She so wants the attention of Trevor and to be like him, so I know that I have to let her find her own way too. If she goes to preschool this fall, it will be interesting to see where that takes us. Right now, we just have to have fun in the sun, at the parks, and playing with friends.

Finishing Trevor

So there were a few more things I wanted to add. Simply put, he grew up a lot this school year. He lost his first two teeth. I measured him again, and he grew 2.5 inches in the last 6 months. He's now up to 4ft 2.5 inches. I think he said he is the 3rd tallest in his class, although him and the two other boys are pretty much the same height. He learned how to ride his two wheeler. He learned how to swim. He had his first "friend" sleepovers.

We got his report card today as a mark to the end of school. He did really, really well. The only area he needs work on, is due to me not working on it. I feel a little puzzled by which kind of scissors to buy him. So unknowingly, I bought him left handed scissors. But maybe because he writes with his right hand, he should have right handed scissors? Anyway, his scissor skills aren't where they need to be, and his other fine motor skills could use some work. But really, looking at the big picture, am I really worried that 10 years from now, we really are going to be talking about how he needs to work on cutting things out? I hope not!

A lot of the area that we put a lot of time and effort into was in the behavior side of things. We used a sticker chart that we developed with his teacher to help Trevor, and us, know what kind of a day he had. I really think it helped him grasp what was expected of him more. His scores in the specific areas we devoted to working on went from 1's to 3's. 3's being where he should be at, and 4 being the highest score you can get. I'm hoping that because his teacher obviously sees improvement from mid-year that he has perhaps turned a corner on his behavior, and we are working towards a much easier time.

Next up, is little Gwen....

Our son, the graduate

Yes, crazy I know, to be talking about a Kindergarten graduate. I always try to reminisce about how much my kid's age over the course of their year on their birthday. But I think it is almost more appropriate to look over the last school year and see how much they have grown.


For Trevor, Kindergarten was a HUGE change. He has a lot of confidence, so he sometimes thinks he can do it all without ever really knowing what is going on. Going to a new school, being the youngest at the school (relatively speaking), with a new-er teacher, so she was getting her footing as well, Monday through Friday, it was a huge change.


Wednesday was their ceremonial graduation, and besides a few songs, his teacher also made a dvd of all of the class pictures she took throughout the year. She had taken a picture of each of the kids on their first day of school and then closed it out with a picture of each of the kids in a cap and gown. The same cap and gown picture was our brochure picture with the note "Class of 2022."

It is kind of interesting that he happened to be wearing the exact same t-shirt the day of this picture, so it doesn't even look all that big on him. I'm not sure if these are the 5th grader's cap and gowns or not, but I really can see him 12 years from now at his High School Graduation.

Going through this year, it is amazing to me how much Kindergarten has become such an academic year for the kids. He did know how to read at the start of school, but now he is reading at a 3rd grade level. His math skills have also improved, but we have been studying more on reading. From about November of school on, he brought home a "book in a bag" every night. I required him to read it at least 3 times, unless the book was over 30 pages long. After the first time, he had to tell me what the book was about (developing reading comprehension). His learning goals were done after the first 2-3 for Kindergarten standards. By the end of the year, we were doing spelling tests. I still read to him as a nightly ritual, but now we have started to read chapter books. It was a little bit of a struggle to get him to agree to it, but I got him James and the Giant Peach, and after we were done, he said he really liked it. I took him to the library and he picked out a funny little comic-type book called The Boy Who Burped Too Much. It was too easy for him, but he read it on the way back from the library. He really likes to do reading activities. He loves science books as well. He likes to read about sharks, volcanoes, oceans, and whatever other books we can get.

He developed a few new friendships over the course of the year. It will be interesting to see what happens next year. There is a possibility (we will know for sure next Friday) that he will be in a multi-age class next year. Half first graders, half second graders. He learned all about the goings on of his school. They have news crews that broadcast every morning. They have crossing guards to help kids walking to and from school. He hasn't been able to learn about music or phy-ed classes, that will be next year. He loved his library day. He can't wait for lunch and recess time next year. They got to practice lunch last week. Through all his experiences, I think he might have his eye on the news crew. We'll have to see how it goes.

He still has his tough days, but I'm hoping that he is growing out of the tough behavior. The good thing about it is that his teacher can pass along things that worked well in helping him not get so frustrated so quickly. We asked him again if he is excited, happy, or sad about being done with school tomorrow. He said he was a little sad that he wouldn't get to see his friends anymore. I wonder if he is confusing preschool with Kindergarten. It is a new experience to be in a new class, yet have your old classmates in another class, so you would still get to see them. I'm interested to see what happens with this summer. It will be another adventure, I'm sure.

Way to go Trevor!

Big events

Well, after reflecting on what was going to be our 10 year anniversary, we decided to forgo huge recognitions and play it a little low key this year. But really, 10 years seems like a lifetime, in a wonderful way. Really, it is a lifetime for our kids. I've noticed that I'm not big on reminiscing, I prefer to picture our life in the future. I love to plan and enjoy the fruits of the planning. Our big trip to Disney World was great, and I'm looking forward to planning the next one in a few years. Trevor loves hearing about my love of Maui, so I think when the kids are MUCH older, we will have to head out there for a trip so I can show him what I mean.

Our actual anniversary date was spent with the kids out at dinner. We decided to priceline it for the Saturday evening that weekend. The kids went up to Grandmas house for the night and had a great time playing with their family. We got out golfing, then dinner, then a movie. It was SO weird. But nice to not have to feel rushed, or that we have to take care of the kids.

We went golfing, and while it was raining the entire time, I still enjoyed being able to get out and do it. Russ and I only get out maybe 3 or 4 times together. We then went to Redstone and again, didn't have to be rushed by kids. It is so hard to get out of the mind set. I was driving Russ's car the other day, or riding, I don't remember. We had the kids in the back seat with us because I had the car in for an oil change. When we stopped, I could not stop myself from reaching up by the rear view mirror where in the Relay, there are automatic door openers for the passenger seats. I feel like I'm automatically in my "mom" mode most of the time. Anyway, we had more time to ourselves because golf went by pretty quick. So we decided to brave a movie. Movies are always hard with us because we rarely see any, and I'm not much for serious movies, nor did I want to watch a kids movie, so that left us with limited options. We saw the movie Killers with Ashton Kutcher and Kathrine Heigl (excuse the spellings). For me it was perfect...light and I didn't have to really think about anything. They billed it as a movie about marriage, so it seemed to be the best choice. I don't know that Russ enjoyed it as much as I did, but like I said, I was happy.

So we stayed at a nearby hotel for the night. Poor Russ again, having to stay in a hotel. At least it was 4 star, and we brought our own pillows. And no kids or phone calls waking us up. The weekend was framed by Trevor's two baseball games on Saturday and Sunday morning. Trevor didn't get rained out either game which was I think one of the only teams to do so.

It has been a crazy few days for me. Trevor is "graduating" this week so more on that soon. But first, 10 years. Looking forward to many many more with our ever developing family.

Give me a D!

Holy Cow. The weather was unbelievable. The boat was in the water, and we were able to get down to the cabin by 3:00. Since Trevor was in AM Kindergarten, this will probably be the last time we can get there early on Friday. Unless we take him out of school. Regardless, we hit some traffic, while we were still in Minnesota, but otherwise smooth sailing out to the lake. The weather was mid-80's so the kids and I were in the water by 3:30. Gwen was a little confused at swimming with a life jacket on, since when we were in Florida, she was swimming with floaties. But it was interesting to watch her quickly learn when we took a quick boat ride to the creek and jumped in to the warm water there. Then, she enjoyed swimming around in the open water. Perhaps it was because if she thought she could touch the bottom, she wanted to.

So we got done with our swim and got ready to go to our dinner at the Stone's Throw. Eating out on their porch, having their good food was heaven again. I had to cut out of the evening festivities in order to finish my school work for the weekend. Then thinking I'd do well to go to sleep early that night too, I tried to head out for the night. Trevor had other ideas. I think he was revved up to be at the lake and swimming, so he woke up at 2am and couldn't get back to sleep until 4:30. I moved him into the other guest room so he could cool down but he was still up shortly after 7:00. So much for my trying to get ahead on sleep.

We woke up o Saturday to another unbelievable day. The guys went golfing, without Trevor, and the rest of us set up at the beach by around 11:00. It was warm enough in the sun to be in the water for most of the day. Gwen was ready to be done at 1:30 or so. Trevor was tired as well. I mistook Gwen being tired for actually wanting a nap. At about 2:30, I headed out expecting Gwen to sleep with Russ and Trevor to sleep with my mom (which he did) so we could head out for a boat ride. It was a great day to be in the sun. Lots and lots of my wonderful Vitamin D that I crave. We got back I think by 5? At this point I wasn't keeping track. We had a bbq style dinner and server Trevor helped take everyone's order. It is one of his current favorite things to do. That evening we played a game of dominoes, which I won somehow. It was a very fast game, and I was thankful to get to sleep "early"...at least for the lake.

Sunday again was a really warm day, but windy this time. Gwen and Trevor were in the water early, but it was obvious that Gwen wasn't going to make it much longer. So I decided to stay back with her to finish up my homework so she wouldn't bother anyone needing to come back to the house. We got out her little wading pool and I let her play with the little princess dolls that I figured wouldn't get too damaged. The tubes were out with the little kids and adults. Because it was so windy, I guess it wasn't too much fun for Trevor. But his turn came after about 4 hours of playing in the lake. I think he was a bit exhausted. We were able to go out to dinner again on Sunday evening, outside again, and very enjoyable. More dominoes and cards in the evening.

So we missed our yearly parade here in Bloomington, but with the weather what it was, I couldn't resist staying that extra day. I know the kids got their dose of fresh air, and if we can find the time to do it again with the same weather, we will be really lucky. Hopefully July will be wonderful too. We got so lucky this year, and I hope our luck doesn't run out!

A short thought on Field Day

Field Day at Lake Elmo Elementary was a yearly tradition. I wonder if we started it in First Grade or if it started in Kindergarten. Honestly, thinking back, I didn't remember much. I remember relay races, short races that got longer as we got older, long jump - standing usually, not the running long jump you see in the Olympics, and I remember getting ribbons. Of course I didn't usually get many, unless I was lucky enough to get onto some one's relay team that was good.

But Trevor had his Field Day, and I had no idea if it was going to be anything similar. All I knew was that their school's gym teacher ran it. Which, if I remember correctly, ours did as well. Wow...our gym teacher, even that brings back memories. ANYWAY, I digress. I guess I should have volunteered to really see what it was all about. But I didn't. I had been volunteering a lot at school for other things, and the last event I was at was outside anyway. I posted a status on Facebook, trying to ask my Lake Elmo friends if they remembered our Field Day. Yep, got a lot of responses. It was at that time that I remembered a few more events we had: shoe toss and bean bag balancing races. It sounds like those events were more of what Trevor did. And maybe because it was Kindergarten, not the older kids. He said they played two different games of "tag" as well as having Popsicles (it was a warm day, which was nice for them). Get this, one of the games they played was called Toilet Tag. Of course the kids love that game. He played it in one of his summer classes and loved it then. The idea is if you are "it", you need to go around and try to tag people. If you are tagged, you need to freeze and hold your hand out as if it is a handle. If you are trying to rescue your frozen friend, you need to flush their handle, and the now unfrozen friend swirls around as if they are being flushed down the toilet and gets to play again.

So we are now in the last two weeks of Kindergarten. His big field trip to Como Zoo is coming up, with graduation (yes, I know, Kindergarten graduation is a bit ridiculous) and then his last day of school is a week from Friday. We had a wonderful time for Memorial Weekend (post to come) and hopefully the weather is as great this summer as it was this weekend. Change is coming! There is much to celebrate!