Change is in the air!

Well, we think we're going to take the plunge - and move back to AZ! Crazy how quickly this has come about. Christian has been super miserable at his job. He found a motorcycle mechanic school in Phoenix that will get him certified, with specialty certifications, in 18 months. The GI bill will pay for all of it and provide a housing allowance. The more I've thought about it, I love the idea of not being held captive by our current financial obligations, mainly our mortgage and the kids' tuition. In Phoenix, they can go to a public or charter school for free and we can buy a nicer house for half the cost of our current mortgage. We'll also be close to both sets of grandparents and my uncle's family. As scary as this is, I'm really looking forward to the change. I think Christian and I both need it!

Cussin'

We try really hard to watch our mouths around our kids and for the most part, do a really good job. Unfortunately, the rest of the world does not and our kids do go out in public, so they learn all kinds of inappropriate things.

Christian, the indulgent parent, has taught them that on really hot days, they can go to 7-11 and get a Slurpee. Yesterday, we were driving home after running some errands and we drove past 7-11. Emma pipes up, in her sweet, optimistic voice "Boy, it's really freaking hot today!" Christian and I were dying laughing in the front seat while trying to explain to her that "freaking" is almost a swear word and not really appropriate for a six year old to say. So funny! Of course, the rest of the day, whenever the kids weren't around, everything was "freaking".

The only other time she's said something way off was last summer when she had gotten head lice from her YMCA day camp. After an hour in the tub of lice treatments and me picking them out she proclaimed "This SUCKS!". Again, we both laughed so hard and told her that she was right, it really did suck, but it wasn't really appropriate language for a five year old.

Cade has yet to pop off with any questionable language, but has come up with his own variation of "Oh, brother!" which Emma says when she's exasperated. He'll exclaim "Oh, sister!". He's too, too cute.

It's Not A Disease

Last night when Christian and I were making dinner in the kitchen, the kids were playing doctor in the living room. We overheard Emma tell Cade "It's not a disease, you just have a bad cough". They are so funny! They were taking turns "walking" each other around the house with a dog leash around their waists. The walkee was a cat and the walker was taking the cat to the cat park. For the most part, they play really well together these days. They will drive you batty fighting, too, but when they play, they play well.

Another one to add to my list of things I never thought I'd say in my life: "Do not put the cat in a drawer, she doesn't like it!" This one was Emma. She put Daisy in her dress up drawer in her closet because she "didn't want her to get away". Um, I'm not thinking that's going to make her want to stay! I think it's interesting how many of these quotes revolve around a pet.

I'm really terrible at this blogging thing! I'm blaming in on work and the holidays, both of which were nuts. Work is always nuts, but there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel. It may just be today, but I'll take it for now! Our whole family went through the stomach flu starting on New Year's Day. We took the kids to see The Princess and the Frog (Cade's first movie in the theater). Cade fell asleep on the way home and woke up from his nap covered in vomit. Yuck, yuck, yuck. Christian was next, then Emma, me last (on a day I absoulutely could not miss work, but of course had to). Oh well, life has continued.

Emma's sixth birthday party is coming up this Saturday. She wants a pajama party, so the girls are coming over in their PJ's. We're going to do arts and crafts, decorate cookies, and watch Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. She's excited and I think they will all have a blast. I can't believe my baby's going to be six! She lost her first two teeth in December, the bottom front. They were the first ones she got as a baby, too.

We took the kids to Monster Jam Saturday night. It was their first stadium event and first experience with earplugs! They said they had a good time. It was late and they got pretty tired. There was also a lot of downtime, which I wasn't expecting. It'll be ok with me if we wait a few more years before going again, but now we all know what it's like.

October Is Gone and I Think I Missed It

I keep waiting for time to slow down, but instead it goes faster! I’d be lying if I said that doesn’t freak me out a little bit. I can’t believe it’s November. In my head, it’s still August! We’ve been super busy, as usual.

We went camping over Columbus Day weekend. The days were nice, but the nights were too cold! Even with the heater in our “vintage” (read: old) trailer. The heat was perfectly happy to just head out all the cracks. The Morgan family, who we met camping there over fourth of July, was in the campsite next to us and the kids had a blast. Unless we’re at the beach, we’ll probably wait to camp again until spring.

The kids have been back in school for two months now. Emma is doing great! She read me a book at bedtime the other night. I helped with some of the bigger words, but wow! She also goes to class by herself when we get to school instead of me walking her when we’re on the late side. “Bye, Mom!” and she runs off. This weekend, we started her on an allowance. She’s very interested in money and they are starting a unit on it at school, so the timing is good. She’s getting two dollars a week. We’ll start giving her three dollars a week when she turns six. And as of last night, she has her first two loose teeth! Her little bottom teeth, the first ones she got at six months old, are both loose. She is SO excited! It’s amazing all these grown up changes happening so fast.

Cade is doing well, too. He really seems to be settled in now and is learning new things all the time. Last night he started telling me opposites and I was surprised at how many he knows. He’s bonded with the kids in his class. I’m his room parent this year, so we had his class Halloween party on Friday. That was fun, but who knew how much I was committing to! We’ll see if I can pull it off this year!

Christian and I are good, too. We got a new mattress, super firm, and that seems to be helping Christian’s back. What to do with the old one? No bites on CraigsList. We’ll probably end up donating it, but it’s only a year old and was expensive! Oh, well. Work has been insanely busy. There are never enough hours in the day. I finally have a work laptop, so I’ll be able to log in from home. That will be good, especially since my mom hasn’t been able to come watch the kids on their days off from school. We’ve had birthday parties galore since school started. Emma was sick all last week, but is finally better. The kids had a great time trick-or-treating. Emma was a black cat and Cade was Spiderman. I’ll try to post pictures soon!

Soup Is Not A Finger Food

I said that tonight. To Cade. As he was attempting to eat his chicken noodle soup. With both hands. He was wrist-deep when I figured out what he was doing. The sad (or probably funny to people other than me) thing is this is not the first time we've had this conversation. I do understand his motivation. It is hard to get the noodles on the spoon sometimes, especially when there is too much broth. So we had a lesson on drinking the broth from the bowl and then getting the noodles with the spoon. And I told him that soup is not a finger food.

There are many things I've said in my years of parenting, beginning nine years ago with Max, that I never dreamed I would say in my life. Interestingly, these things have primarily been directed to Cade:

* Why is there pee on your forehead? *

* No, Jasmine (the spayed cat) isn't going to lay babies. *

* Stop licking the cat! *

These are a select few of my favorites. And now I've added * Soup is not a finger food *. I guess I can call it a day.

Routine is Good

We’ve gotten back into a routine now that the kids are back in school. Emma is really enjoying kindergarten so far. She’s joined the glee club one afternoon a week which is right up her alley. She’s been learning Spanish words every day, too, and thinks that is pretty cool. She and I went to a birthday party for her classmate, Chloe, on Sunday. It was at a place called Bears, Buddies, and Toys. The girls all got to put on princess dresses, get their hair done with glitter and tiaras, and pick an animal to get stuffed. She had a great time.

Cade is slowly adjusting. I think he’s going to be the kind of person who has two or three really, really good friends. He misses his friend Victor a lot, but they’re coming over for a playdate Saturday, so I hope that will help. He seems to be making friends with a boy named Dean in his new class, so that’s positive, too. Last night he was really enthusiastic when telling me about music class. He got to be the rain. On Saturday, we all went to a birthday party for Karli’s sister from his old school. I think he liked seeing Karli and Amelia, but he was mostly excited for the airbrushed Spiderman tattoo he got on his arm!

My week was a little stressful. I decided to let one of my staff go, which was a really tough decision. I know it was the right decision, but that didn’t make it any easier.

On a lighter note, I’m going to be the room parent for Cade’s class at school. Should be interesting!

Time Marches On

Yesterday was Emma’s first day of kindergarten. I had no idea this would be such a big deal to me. She was thrilled, of course, and that part didn’t surprise me. She was out-of-her skin excited this weekend, waiting for her big day to arrive. She looks so grown up in her uniform. We got to school on the early side and she was the second kid in the classroom. She had absolutely no problem saying goodbye to me.

I think it’s such a milestone for me because she is officially in academia. She’s gone to her school for two years now, but that was pre-kindergarten. Sure she was learning some academics, but that wasn’t the focus. Now she is on a set schedule with workbooks and expectations. She came home yesterday reciting the colors in Spanish.

This morning she was so pleased that today is her day to be her teacher’s helper for the day. And I’m pleased for her. I am deliriously happy that she likes school so much and that we’re able to send her to such a good, well-rounded school. She’s just growing up so fast.

Not any less noteworthy, is that Cade started his first year at the same school. He is officially a pre-kindergartner! He did great yesterday morning, but not as well today. Cade takes a little longer to adjust to new situations than Emma. He is in general a more sensitive kid. I’m sure he’ll be fine, but I’m a little sad for him as I’m sure he misses his friends from St. Andrew’s and his old school and routine. We did get invited to a birthday party for an old classmate next weekend. I’d like to take him just so he can visit with some of his friends.

On a selfish note, it is absolutely fantastic to finally be dropping them both off at the same place in the morning! I’m not in such a rush and can take my time dropping them off and saying goodbye. And then I’m still early to work! These are the small blessings of them getting older. But I still miss my babies. I think I need to look through some old photos…