First of First

I may or may not have had a little melt-down last night and called Jed blubbering something about "but now she is forever going to spend all day, every day at school...and it will never be the same."  However, once I left the school grounds and my misty-eyes were absorbed by the misting rain.  Blessed rain.  Jack, Elise and I had a good time together and the day went by fast.  Although Jack did look at me when we got back in the car and say, "What are we going to do all day now that Jara is gone?"  and I felt a little overwhelmed.  It isn't the same without her but she had a wonderful day in first grade, her teacher is awesome.  I feel personally connected to her because I taught her son when he was in first grade, a million years ago, and she "gets it."  

First day of First grade

Walking the line

Wait for it....

 Demon Diaper Baby

And what she came home and did before bed.  

In preparation for the big moving day I have Jara and Jack's room all boxed up.  This is one of the boxes.  I think there is a message being sent here.  This baby was not the devil the day I packed up all of Jara's art supplies.  Or so I thought...apparently a rogue marker found it's way into her crafty little paws and the result is the Kirkland Frenchy baby model got an updated, sinister, makeover.  I think it definitely conveys a more French/Parisian look and is very chic.  You are going to go buy you a pack of "confort actif's" right now aren't you?  Mostly because you are afraid that baby is going to make come off of that box and make it necessary for YOU to wear a diaper if you don't.    Jack kept trying to tell me about the evil baby in his room but I told him to go to bed it was just a "shadow."  

Yup, I think first grade is going to be just perfect.

The Summer of Paint Chips

No pics...for now.  The iPad and I are teaming up and do not correlate pictures well. I also deeply resenting using my index figures to type so much but that's another story.  My laziness takes precedence tonight. Sacrifices. Lounging on the couch to type or sitting at the office desk in my broken chair the hoity-toity cat keeps fighting me for?  Anyway...here is our current status...

and forget the no pictures part because I'm finishing this post a week later on the computer so it will now include pics. i'm sparing no realities here either...




















Elise
Was described as "powerful" the other day and it is TRUE!  She is a powerful, adorable, cunning little monkey.  She has heaps of personality and when I am perfectly attentive and meeting her needs she is quite delightful.  (Lets not talk about how she tried to choke me when I wouldn't give her a treat.)I love when she checks to see if I just witnessed her latest shenanigans and then charmingly, with that little glint in her eye, cackles her evil cackle.  She lovvvves attention.  She will do anything for a laugh.  Which tonight included gobbling up her pizza like a growling monster, which she does fairly accurately, and then chugging her water bottle and smashing it against her forehead.  Afterwards as we were laughing without breathing she proceeded to roll on the floor and snortingly laugh.  We really don't know where she comes up with these things.  Jed and I are not currently in the habit of smashing drinking containers on our foreheads. Nor were we ever, just for the record, not even in college.  It's probably because we are bad parents and let her watch Despicable Me 2.  Jara was still in Elmo's world at this stage.  Elise can do a dead on minion impression.  Third children.





















Jack
What can I say? He's a man. He doesn't listen.  Get your shoes on, get your shoes on, please get your shoes on, if you know what is good for you GET YOUR SHOES ON NOW!!! Goodness gracious! Open the door. Oh,  "hello landlord, no you don't need to make any phone calls to cps he found his shoes." Haha if only that weren't the truth.  However, he is kind and tries hard to be a gentleman and opens doors for me. So thoughtful. Makes up for that nasty shoe business.
He earned his first reading medallion through the library reading program this summer.  We have read a lot of "Piggie and Elephant" this summer.  He is a natural reader and has mad memorizing skills.  Kid beats me at memory every day of the week, and I play to win.  He also enjoys his Costco edition workbook. Now before I make him sound too bookish I would also like to mention that he has learned to swim well enough to survive the width of the pool, again better than his mother and can hit  the stuffing out of a baseball.  Oh and he is a good little archer.  I was sitting outside watching the kids play when I hear a whooshing noise.  Lo and behold an arrow went flying by my head from across the desert.  Somewhere an acre away was Jack.


















Jara
Is ready for first grade.  She misses the active and social part of school.  She would be happy if we played with friends every day. Jara also did the summer reading program and wasn't as excited about medaling.  "It's smaller this year mom."  She is still in that last moment of little kid land where she is happy to swim in a kiddie pool but big enough to be a real help to me.  She entertains Elise in the morning if they wake up before me and she is happy to involve Jack in most of her pretend play.  However, when it comes to playing pony's she prefers to play quietly where no one can see her, alone.  The pony's are off limits to Elise.  I completely understand.  It was a sad, horrible day when my little sister inked the barbie house furniture.  She is developing quite a sense of humor.  Grumpy cat is a bad influence on her.  I made the mistake of letting her see a grumpy cat picture on pinterest and she is hooked.  I heard her singing "row, row, row your boat gently down the....WATERFALL!" and knew we might have a little problem.  On our family trip to the movies this summer she laughed and laughed genuine, giggly, belly laughs at Despicable Me 2.  I love it when they start "getting" the humor.  

The Big People
Jed and I have been distracted with the process of buying a home.  We finally found one, the stars aligned, an act of congress passed and we closed at the beginning of the month.  It has been a rugged, long journey/process.  Once we realized all was in order we started planning our remodel.  Hence the summer of paint chips.  I can name you almost every color of blue and gray Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams manufacture and trust me when I say there are a lot of them.  We also have been thoroughly researching flooring.  I am neurotic and have to painstakingly review all elements before I make a choice.  Thankfully Jed is patient and allowed me to walk back and forth between a million rows of flooring for over three hours trying to make a choice.  This doesn't include the previous two trips I had made on my own. Yipes, I know!  We will be moving in a week and then hopefully life will settle down and I won't be found muttering to myself in the grocery store anymore.  maybe.   

End of Kindergarten

Shall we talk about the last day of school before the first?  Here jara and her classmates are singing and performing their little hearts out.  

Jara was an elegant butterfly, swooping her way through kindergarten.  Perfectly typecast if you ask me.

Here jara is buggy eyed.  I'm not sure if she gave up her elegant ways or was shyly hiding waiting to emerge from her cocoon. 

Hooray for kindergarten.  Happy kids sing.

Jara and her teacher. We are so grateful to have had an amazing experience.  Jara said she will never forget the glue song or the -ing brothers.  Ask her.  Just don't ask her about her black eye.  Of course the last week of school she was swinging jack around the living room and his chin connected with her eye.  Worst black eye ever.  Memorialized in time through everyone's kindergarten last day pics.  Poor pet, we tried icing it with a slab and rubbing it with the "hocus pocus" oils to no avail.

Summer Birthday Fun

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Lots of summer birthdays, in one month there are six birthdays between our two families.  Here are a couple of celebration moments.  Ashley's pool party, Ella's pool party and my pie party, too hot to bake cake.  Now on to the babies turning two, Scarlet and Elise. Look out world, good thing they mostly disdainfully guard their toys and eye cynically at each other for the moment because when they do decided to join forces, I smell mutiny.

Jack'isms'

Some of my favorite Jack quotes lately...

"Mom, look at all of those motor'psychos', why do they call them psychos?"  After seeing a very large group of bikers roll through town.

"Elise, the cat is a real, live creature you can not squeeze it."  Funny I think we just recently had this conversation with him.  Must have been effective.

"I used to be afraid of fireworks but this year not so bad.  They do look like they are going to stab us though."  Fourth of July night.

"Ahhh my ball rolled into the pack rat's den."  After his golf ball rolled under the stove.

"He's cagey mom."  After I asked him if I could hold his cat.

"LOVE it!"  Sentiments voiced after eating a cake pop.

Never a dull day.

One Year Older and Wiser Too...?

Remember that primary ditty?  The wiser may be questionable, although there is no doubt there were firsts and wise experiences to be had.  

Here are the best parts of my day.

My friends

We have enough children to put fear into the heart of even the most veteran of Chucky Cheese establishments so thankfully/graciously Brandie hosted us.  I love this picture, even though its dark, because look at all of us smiling, even though there's chaos(children) surrounding us.  It was lovely to visit, discuss what life throws at you at various ages and stages and eat Olive Garden worthy cuisine.  Don't ever tell me you can't cook Brandie-I'm still dreaming of Alfredo.

My kiddies who drew me beautiful pictures, held doors and asked me throughout the day "Are you having a happy birthday?"  So precious.  Elise was partied out about the time of this picture but I like her naughty all the same.

And my Jed, who I may or may not have threatened with death on facebook, for a certain infraction.  He gives nice birthday presents so all is well.  Plus his intentions were kind.  

On the day of my birthday I always wake up with a smile because

#1 I enjoy using the line "...but it's my day of glory."  

#2 I don't leave things up to chance, I plan my fun and even if we have two blow-outs on I-15 we still did something. You can't feel bad about getting old when there is an activity going on.

#3 I have lowered my expectations, with three kids, work, and 110* temperatures not a lot of excitement takes place.  However, I am easily entertained, almost pathetically.  Which is why my hobbies include reading and quizzing Jed on useless trivia.  Anyway, the babies (Elise and Scarlet) put on a dancing/jumping show that wasn't Cirque du Soleil by any means but I laughed so hard my eyes squished up and my belly hurt.  Can I attribute my wrinkles to that?

#4  I don't do anything I don't want to. Which mostly means NO cleaning, which is why I had to eat my birthday pie at my mom's, you couldn't see the counter-tops or carpet in my house.  Jed cleaned for me later, which is a present in and of itself.  One year I planned an elaborate birthday dinner/party for myself because I thought it sounded like a good idea.  It wasn't.  I spent the whole day cooking, cleaning, cleaning and cleaning.  At the end of the day I was tired, felt older, and resented my guests.  Lesson learned.  If I've learned nothing else in thirty-two years....

#5 I love all the phone calls/texts and cards.  Such an attention seeker I know.

Thanks all for a wonderful day.  

May Day...in July

There's has been a bit of neglect and lack of chronological documentary on the blog lately.  Excuse the random order.  However, we must not forget May day.  What I lack for enthusiasm towards the fair I make up for in May Day excitement.  I loved it when I was a child, the break in the monotony of school work, I loved it as a teacher, and I love it now as a parent.  Unfortunately, it does make me cry, it was bad when the children weren't even biologicallymine, but now that I'm actually watching MY very own little girlie dance the parachute dance...sniff...sniff.  It melts me to watch; May day and the Star Spangled banner, gets me every time.  

the smile

Jara means serious business, but she let loose when the sunglasses went on and I witnessed the entertainer in her come out.

Plotting how to trap the boy next to her under the parachute. kidding

Holding the parachute high, a metaphorical symbol for Jara's kindergarten work ethic or something like that.

Beautiful weather, cutie Jara, Elise not storming the performance, what more could one ask for