Hearing Kids Day at MOA

M showing off his letter B skills.



We finally pulled out the ugly bushes in front of our house. I have been wanting to do this for a long time. They were not attractive looking and were so overgrown it was difficult to walk on the sidewalk leading up to our front door.





The kids loved "helping" Steve on the tractor.





I think the front looks better bare than with the bushes, but we will of course plant something new and more attractive looking there.



D's audiologist sponsored a Hearing Kids Day at the Mall of America. We were treated to lunch, time to schmooze with Sponge Bob Square Pants and Patrick, and free five hour passes to the rides.





The kids loved going on the rides.









M didn't like the car D picked out, even though they are all exactly the same, and was pouting, wanting to chose his own. This little girl seized the opportunity to hop in with D. D was happy to have another little girl sit by her and she followed D on the next couple of rides we went on. When we left that section of rides to move on, we realized she had followed us without letting her grandma know. When we told her she needed to go back to her grandma, who we could see in the distance and still thought she was in line for a different ride, she said "I'm ok. I want to go with you guys." Oops. I guess that's how some kids get lost! We quickly walked her back to grandma, who had just realized she actually wasn't in line for the ride she was watching.





More rides.









We had our friends that helped Steve cut wood up at the cabin over for dinner on Thursday. The kids all had a "picnic" on the play room floor because of our limited living space. They seemed to like it!



C is for cookie, that's good enough for me...(great, now I have that song stuck in my head!)

First Day of Speech Preschool

M's all set for his first day of speech preschool and is waiting for the bus...which sadly never came to pick him up. Somehow they missed him and Steve had to drive him to school.



Here he is outside his school, ready for his first day.



M and I will work on preschool stuff at home, too. Here he is showing off his letter A writing skills.



D and her friends at choir and Adventure Club on Wednesday night.



M is giving a preview of his Halloween costume this year. Had to make sure it fit! He's so excited to be Elmo.



M started gymnastics class last Monday and just loved it. He was so excited to go back for his second class. He got to demonstrate how to jump on the trampoline.



Walking the balance beam. He is so particular about making sure he doesn't lose his balance and fall off.





After dismounting any kind of apparatus, they are required to "stick" their landing on a piece of felt and wave to the crowd. He loves that part.

August in September

Day 2: Ready for her carpool this morning. Don't worry, I'm not going to chronicle every day.





Here is what her day looks like. I like the fact there is about a two hour block in the afternoon that is "academic-free", so they can rest their kindergartener brains for a while. All day is a long time for a 5 year old!



Did you notice the nap time from 12:00 to 12:30? Each kindergartner has a cot with their name on it, and D said during that time they all lay on their cots and the lights are out--quiet time. She said no one sleeps, but they are quiet. I'm not quite sure how you get 25 five year olds to lay down for 30 minutes at the same time, but apparantly they do!

M played all day Friday with the stuff he got in his backpack the night before. He got two pens and wanted to give one to D. The other one he insisted on wearing on his shirt as you see here. I'm not quite sure where he got this idea, as neither Steve nor I carry pens around like that.



M was really into reading this little mini book. It's actually a Spanish English dictionary on a keychain. Funny boy! He was making a great story out of it.



Before starting kindergarten, D wanted to know how to spell all sorts of words and loved writing them over and over again on the pictures she draws (which is how she spends every morning and time between activities during the day). After two days of school, she has ditched the English and has has begun "writing in Chinese." When I asked her "What does it say?", she said she didn't know. She is intrigued by the Chinese writing system, though!



Steve's nephew Rob, wife Haley and 3 month old son August were in town for a wedding yesterday and stopped by for breakfast with us Sunday morning. It was our first time meeting August. He is the spitting image of his daddy!



Who's taller? Haley suspects August will grow to over six feet tall since he is so tall now and her brothers and dad are over six feet. So while D towers over him now, some day he will probably be much taller than she is.



Taking turns holding August.





Game time for the cousins.



All the cousins (except M, he was being stubborn).



The boys.



And the girls. Thanks for visiting and introducing us to August!

First Day of Kindergarten

D got to use the special red plate for dinner Wednesday night to celebrate heading off to kindergarten. She picked out homemade macaroni and cheese for dinner and we made ice cream in our ice cream maker with fresh raspberries. Yummy!



She requested waffles for breakfast and got to use the red plate again in the morning.



Posing in front of the maple tree before driving to school.



Her backpack is bigger than she is practically!







Outside of school was the kindergarten tree. Every single kindergartner had their name on the tree.









She found her spot at her table with her pencil box and supplies.



Volunteers read to the kids every morning while waiting for school to begin.





First day of school is done! She seemed a little tired.



Posing with her friend from ECFE and carpool-mate in front of the kindergarten tree.



After a quick rest and an energizing green monster smoothie, we were off to dance.







While D was at dance, Steve took M to an open house for his preschool speech class. He made out like a bandit with all the loot they gave him in this backpack. There was even a $5 gift certificate for Cub in there! I can't believe all the stuff he got. M is definitely excited to take his new Spiderman backpack to speech class.



Yes, all that stuff on the table (not the pineapple and rolls!) was in his backpack.