We've got some "moaning" & "groaning" going on!

• I bought Ben some undershirts.
  Oh the simple things that bring joy to that boy!
• I love math! It is so fascinating! I look forward to that class everyday...and I love spending hours doing math homework!!! It is a joy! I can't believe how easy it is to understand these complex problems! (maybe if I make this my mantra then it will actually come true...worth a shot right???)
• I got to help out in Ben's class today. I just did busy work for the teacher, but it was SO fun being in there with him! I was worried that it might cause issues with him, my being in there, but he did his thing & I did mine. Good thing, cause I am going to observe his class for 2 of my classes and I was worried about him being clingy or acting like a goofball!
• Isabelle has a sore throat. She woke us up at 2 a.m. crying cause it hurt to cough. Matt gave her some meds and told her not to cough...oh the sympathy we have at 2 a.m. (I was REALLY sympathetic...I didn't even get out of bed!)
• I went to buy Matt's sister a bridal shower gift. I wanted to get her a really pretty, non-risque nightgown. Everything was either really risque or was covered in leopard spots (not that I am against animal print...cause I LOVE it...Beth on the other hand does not)...I was sorely disappointed...sorry Beth, but I did buy you something else super cute!
• I am in the middle of watching a film by National Geographic called "In the Womb." It is for my child development class. It makes me REALLY baby hungry...I'm sure that will dissipate once I get to the "moaning" and "groaning" part at the end. Let's keep our fingers crossed!
• Speaking of "moaning" and "groaning"...I was saying goodnight to Isabelle the other night and I said she was going to make such a good mommy cause she takes really good care of her dolls and stuffed animals. She smiled and got that sweet shy look on her face. Looking very pleased she crawled into bed and I went to Ben's room to say goodnight. I leave Ben and hear Isabelle sobbing. Oh boy! I go in and try to calm her down. All she keeps saying is "babies." Finally she tells me she doesn't want to grow up cause then she will have to have babies and it is going to hurt really bad! Me & my big mouth! Of course that is the thing she is going to remember from our talks of when she was born...I don't go into gory detail, it just somehow came up that it hurts (plus she has seen Father of the Bride Part II, there is some "moaning" & "groaning" going on in that too!). I try to reason with her & the only thing that could calm her down was me saying, "Well Grandma Bonnie had 9 kids, and Grandma Jo had 9 kids. (at this point she exclaimed "All At Once?????" hehe) Do you really think they would keep having kids if it hurts so bad?" She said no & got happy & went to sleep. So hear is the story folks...childbirth is a breeze...Isabelle will believe that until the day she has to deliver her first baby...got it???
• Oh! And once I got her settled down, Ben calls to me...."Mom??? I NEED you right NOW!!!" Here is his question..."Why do people get tubes stuck in their backs?" Say what??? "Yeah Mom, you told me that people get tubes stuck in their backs when they have babies." YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!!!!!!! Come to find out Ben thinks I had a tube the size of a vacuum hose stuck in my back...oi vay! I had to explain that it is a teeny tiny, eensy weensy tube (I didn't tell him the size of the epidural needle though, cause that sucker is HUGE!) Seriously? What is wrong with me? Why do my children know these things? No wonder they are scared to grow up!
• Sorry this was long...just some rambling thoughts...and I am procrastinating homework...

Things I am grateful for today...

• Not having any homework due so I actually got to help the kids with homework and make dinner without stressing...it was glorious!
• Not having anything due in class, so when i went..it was very stress free.
• The movie that we got to watch in my Exploring Teaching class (The Education of Little Tree) I LOVE MOVIE DAYS!
• Nobody stole my cell phone even though I left it on my front seat in the van...in plain view (I know...paranoid!)
• There wasn't an emergency with my kids while I was in class (cell phone was in car...remember???)
• I took my math quiz and am pretty confident I got full credit (it helps when he tells us beforehand what problems to work on and then lets you use notes during the quiz...)
• I got to take a nap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This NEVER happens!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• I'm excited I get to visit Kristen Jolley tomorrow...I miss that woman!
• My family is healthy
• Matt...sigh...=)
• The way my kids greet me when I pick them up from school! Always so happy to see mom!
• My presentation was yesterday...I didn't throw up...and today it is no longer a worry!
• My kids are very good eaters!
• Cookie dough =)
• Tuck Everlasting
• My body pillow with it's super soft cover, which I am going to go snuggle now...I am tired and going to bed =)

My Men...

Ben telling Dad all about his first day of school! Thought this looked so sweet!

Benjamin the Kindergartener!

Ben had his first day of Kindergarten on September 1st! He was absolutely thrilled to finally be able to go to school! His teacher this year is Mrs. Pulsipher...we love her!

Isabelle is excited that Ben is now in school with her. They have made plans to meet up at recess and lunch! Too Cute!
We can't be serious all of the time!

Ben and his best friend Grant Saunders with little brother Kevin!

Ben is such a good friend! He always wants to make sure Grant is taken care of! Grant is a wee bit shy and sometimes gets overlooked, but not if Ben is around!

Lining up to go in! This is when I put on my sunglasses cause I was starting to cry!

And off he goes! When we first got to school I told him to wait with Grant while I walked Isabelle to her class. He told me he was fine and that I could just go home! WHAT??? That crazy boy! I told him that I would be back and make sure he got into his class ok. What an independent little man...much to his mama's chagrin!

And yes, Lisa (Grant's mom) and I cried...it was nice to have someone to cry with. And then when I got home and realized I was alone...I cried even more!

Ben has this thing about buttoning his buttons all the way to the top. I think he is channeling Mr. Monk! In the morning I told him he should leave it unbuttoned, that it looked better. He was VERY skeptical, but left it unbuttoned. After I dropped him off I thought, "Guaranteed, that button will be done up when I pick him up!" Sure enough....

Come to find out the next day, I have a very modest son. He is only concerned about his chest being shown off! Oh boy! We need to get that boy some undershirts!!!

Isabelle the First Grader!

School started on August 25th for Miss Isabelle. She is so excited to be in first grade! Her teacher is Mrs. Lee. (I was able to work with Mrs. Lee this past school year. I LOVED being in her class!)

Walking to school =) (A first day tradition!)

Isabelle and her friend Maddie Peer (Maddie is in 2nd grade this year)

Going inside her class!

Here she is hanging up her backpack, her teacher is in the blue shirt.

Isabelle said she was bored the first day cause they only talked about the boring rules! School got much more exciting after that! She is so excited every day to come home and tell me about all of the fun things that first graders get to do!

My own little Ben Kenobi

Tuesday I dropped Ben off at school. We were saying our goodbyes and our i love you's. Just before he shut the van door he shouted:
"May the force be with you!"
I think I had a smile on my face that whole day!

And that's how Isabelle C's it!

Isabelle decided she wanted to do the dishes today.
I told her to go right ahead. I started to walk out of the kitchen and she said
"Where are you going?"
me: "I need to do homework."
Isabelle: "Well, someone needs to stay in here and talk to me."
Me: "Ok, but I have to read this journal, so I can't talk."
She told me it was ok and I could read it to her. Hmmm....does she realize how BORING it is??? I was bored with it...and they use a lot of really big words =) So I decided to start reading to her, what could it hurt?
The journal was on how late entry to kindergarten can effect kids when they get to high school...zzzzzzz...could be interesting, but remember all of those big words? Yeah half of the thing made no sense whatsoever! So she kept doing dishes and about 20 minutes into it, I had just read something about how it affects them in PE, and she pipes up:
"Oh I am so glad that they decided to let them have PE at that school. Like they get to do soccer and football. Some schools do not let you do soccer or foot ball, mom." I nodded and agreed with her...but I was so impressed that she was actually listening to what I was saying. She totally didn't understand it, but she was trying!
Then I mentioned the mean (you know, average!) something about PE and again she pipes up:
"Oh they really need to get rid of that mean PE teacher. Those kids won't be able to do anything. She won't let them kick the ball, or hit the ball. She is so mean. She will only let them hit the ball with their heads. And then they will just fall over. Oh mom, they really need to get rid of that mean PE teacher!"
Can I just say that....I LOVE THIS KID!!!!!!!!!!
It was fabulous having her comment on my boring homework. I loved her interpretations and also the fact that she listened to this for about 45 min! What a champ! I am thinking she needs to be my permanent study partner...=)