1st Day of School

Everytime I hear someone talk about (or see someone post about) their kids starting school, it always includes something like "I can't believe my baby is a 4th grader!" or "He's a kindergartner - where does the time go?" or "It seems like only yesterday . . ."

Hope started 2nd grade this week and I keep thinking, "Is she really only in 2nd grade?" Of course, the time has gone quickly, and when I see pictures of Hope at EJ's age, it seems like it was such a short time ago. But Hope, so often, seems so much older than she really is. While Hope has a lot of '7 year-old tendencies' because she is 7, in so many ways, she's seems so much older.
Maybe it's because she's started calling me "mother" instead of "mommy".

Or because she wants to do things like "start her own business".

Maybe it's the way she sounds so grown up when she's sets out to explain things that we just don't understand!

Or the way she'll go up to her room and write down the lyrics of songs I know I didn't do that until at least middle school.

Or maybe it's the "13 year-old eye roll" that she has perfected.

Whatever the reason, she sometimes seems so grown up. It seems impossible that she's only a second grader. There are reminders though . . .

Like how she wants her closet light on at night.

And how she still must have "Cow Cow" to go to sleep. This deserves a post in and of itself.

And how she still loves to snuggle up on the couch and watch "baby shows" like Max and Ruby.

And how everyday she still wants mommy . . . er, mother, to give her a hug and kiss before she walks into class.

Enjoy the pics of our mature, sensitive, sometimes insecure, sometimes over-confident, strong-willed, fun-loving 2nd grader . . .

1st day of 2nd grade!

And to show how much she's grown:

1st day of 1st grade!

1st day of kindergarten!

It seems like only yesterday . . .

The Last Days of Summer

A friend and blogging buddy told me about all the fun things for kids at the Denver Art Museum thanks Cortney! So last week the girls and I took a trip downtown. We enjoyed the art and activities at the museum and then had a fun girl's lunch! Hope said that downtown Denver is "the nicest place". Hmm . . . :)

Popping "virtual bubbles" on the ground.

Popping those bubbles

EJ was not so sure about the bubbles

EJ making her own piece of art from blocks

Hope was determined to put the "Stone Puzzle" together

EJ would have helped - if she only could have lifted those big rocks!

Taking a break from all the heavy lifting

Mission Accomplished!

Lunch out on the town!

Also during the last week of summer . . .

We have a great public swimming pool in our little town called The Bay. We made it there for the first time this year on the last official day of summer. With our great little free neighborood pool, it's easy to just stay put when we want to go swimming. Plus, the Bay gets so crowded and the water is always freezing. Well, most of the schools around here had already started by last Friday, so there were not too many people available to go swimming! All the better for us! Despite the cold water, we ALL had a great time! I know there is a lack of evidence, but I was there, comfortably behind the camera. ;o)

Testing out the waterfall

Escaping the cold water!

Brandon coming down the slide (Hope is in front of the tube and blocked by the lifeguard)

Hope on the tube slide (Brandon is in back and blocked by the lifeguard) - I'm a great photographer!

The girls on the baby pool slide! EJ would cry everytime they made it to the bottom, but kept saying "again, again".

School has started, so I'll have a "First Day of School" post soon!

"Tomorrow"

We checked out the movie "Annie" from the library and Hope has wanted to watch it non-stop. She woke up at 6:30 the past two mornings so she could turn it on again. EJ has, obviously, been paying attention too. I caught her on video several times throughout the day.

And as we were headed to bed . . .

Unfortunately, she pays just as much attention when Spongebob is on. :0/

Sister's Club

For several days now Hope and Ellis have been making a little fort for their "Sister's Club". Really Hope is doing the "making", but Ellis will help by bringing over blankets and toys.

They even have a "secret handshake". Although it's not actually a secret Hope likes to tell everyone about it and it's not actually a handshake it's more of a head bonk. They say "kiwi" and bonk their foreheads together and then laugh hysterically. They started doing this before Ellis even turned one, I have no idea where it came from or why, but even when Ellis was really little, Hope could say "kiwi" and lean her head toward her and Ellis would lean forward and bonk Hope's head. Strange, I know. but it only became an official "secret handshake" when the club started earlier this week.

The Ofiicial "Handshake"

They play in there and they both have fun for a short time. It usually ends with Hope getting mad because Ellis keeps going in and out and breaking down the fort. Ellis always thinks it's hilarious, and Hope always says yells, "I'm never having a Sister's Club with you again, ELLIS! By the next day, they're both excited to start again. I guess that's how a "Sister's Club" should be!

Mischevious look EJ has, huh? I think she's ready to destroy!!

Wonder Pets!

Yesterday we had our very own Wonder Pets Adventure! For those of you unfamiliar with Nick Jr., you can click here to get caught up.

As we were playing in the basement, out of the corner of my eye, I saw something moving in the window well. Upon further inspection we discovered it was a little baby bunny, hopping with all it's might. Apparently it had fallen into the window well, and was unable to get out.

Wonder Pets! WonderPets! We're on our way . . . to help the Baby Bunny and save the day!

Linny, Tuck, and Ming Ming to the rescue! The girls rushed outside to keep watch over the little guy the while I went to get the gardening gloves which are actually old baseball gloves.

I climbed down into the deep, dark window well as the bunny hopped around frantically. As the chaos ensued, EJ had a minor breakdown and began crying rather frantically. Hope used her big sister skills and calmly talked her out of hysterics. With my stellar speed and determination ha!, I grabbed that baby bunny with one hand, and used the other to climb out of the window well. We released the bunny outside of the fence and watched him hop away to freedom.

Being a super hero is tough work!

The Paci

Even before EJ was born I was adamant that she was going to take a pacifier. Hope refused to take any kind of pacifier and believe me, we tried EVERY kind available. Hope was a thumb sucker. I worried about what it was going to do to her teeth. I worried about all the germs going straight from everything she touched into her mouth. There was a period of time when I worried she would go to college sucking her thumb. It was right around that time that I thought, "if she only took a pacifier, it would be so much easier to get rid of than the thumb". You can just take a pacifier away, right? You can't just get rid of a thumb. So, as I said, EJ had to take a pacifier. I know pacifiers aren' t the greatest thing for teeth either, but you can just take a pacifier away. Right? We forced her to take it as a newborn, holding it in her mouth until she had no choice but to start sucking. It was great! She'd take the paci and fall asleep. If she woke up at night, we just gave it back to her and off she went, into dreamland. Up until the last couple of months, that was the only time she wanted it, when she was going to sleep. Now. . . well, um . . . I'm afraid we've created a monster . . .

She wants it in the car . . .

She wants it when she's relaxing . . .

She wants it when she's playing . . .


And though this is not a regular occurrence, it really scares me:



You can just take a pacifier away, right? Easier said than done. By the second kid, I know not to worry that she'll be taking it to college with her. And I'm way less critical when I see big kids walking around with pacifiers hanging out of their mouths and when I see kids throwing fits in public, and when I see kids with mismatched clothes and shoes on the wrong feet but that just comes with being a parent. Maybe one day she'll decide that pacis are for babies and she'll give it up. Or we can have the "Paci Fairy" come and leave a gift and take all the pacifiers away. Or the "Twiddlebugs" may come and chew holes in all of them, like they did mine years ago. But not now. For now she's still my baby and I'm glad she has something that can help her comfort herself, even if it is messing up her teeth.

For the record, Hope will not be going to college with her thumb in her mouth. When she was 5, she decided she was ready to give it up, and she did. Just like that.

Mark Twain - A Musical Biography

Sounds exciting, huh? In truth, it was a very cute musical and touching story I actually learned a lot of new and interesting facts about the man! and it has been such a big part of our summer, it's hard to believe I am only now blogging about it! Hope had roles as a whitewash girl and a flower seller and she took her parts very seriously! In addition to the many hours of rehearsals, she spent a lot of time singing the songs and saying her lines at home and in the car, and at the store. Several times I went to bed with the songs running through my head and woke up the next morning with them still there. Even though it was busy and took up a lot of Hope's summer afternoons, she thoroughly enjoyed herself. She learned a lot and made many great friends. Hope is a girl that likes to be on stage! She has a flair for the dramatic and I love that she has an outlet for that.

Saturday night was her last performance, followed by a cast party. By the time she got to bed it was after midnight. I laid down with her, and despite being exhausted, she kept talking and talking. Before I got up she said, "I just can't believe the show's actually over. I think my life is going to feel pretty empty for the next few days". I just smiled.

Flower Sellers

Still selling flowers

Cute little Whitewash Kids

The final scene - an Oxford Graduation

The Cast - kids ranged from 5 - 17 years old!