Spencer

Dear Spencer:

Yesterday you began the next chapter of your life....the first one that Daddy and I don't have complete control over...but you are so happy! Your first day of kindergarten was wonderful! You weren't nervous, and you couldn't wait to go back when school was done. I'll always remember walking hand in hand with you into school for the first time, introducing you to your principal, and taking you into your new room. The room was packed with parents and kids, but you weren't fazed. You hung up your backpack and gave Mrs. S her small gift we got her: an apple candy. You were a little disappointed we forgot her apple (a new tradition we started in pre-school), but you brought it today. Mommy and Daddy loved watching you discover your new room. We both were a little emotional since our baby is starting school already!

You are so lucky that you have your best friend Jake in class, as well as a few other friends. I know you love having me right next door. I see you wave when your class heads out to lunch, and I LOVE that you blew me kisses when you saw me yesterday on your school tour.

I look forward to you growing and hope your love of learning continues. I am so thrilled that your adjustment into kindergarten was an easy one. Today you told me you wished you could go all day! Mama isn't ready for that! I love that we get to leave together at noon!

Love,

Mommy

PS: my first day went great! I really liked working with my new partner, and our kiddos seem very sweet. It helps that I am in the same grade twice finally...after teaching 3rd, 2nd, 5th, 4th, and 1st the last five years...and first grade seems much more manageable this year!

My class

Cutie pie

Just playing around with photoshop and found these adorable pix of my man S from last October...taken by Aunt Jenny! 3 are from Cara's wedding, he had a blast on the dance floor with Ash! Had to share....he's so cute...can't believe he is almost 5!!!!!!

California...and other thoughts

OK, so California is pretty wonderful...maybe not my neck of the woods..but there are many wonderful places in our golden state. And southern Cal is is one of them...and now it's a complete mess...fires are a fact of life if you live in SoCal. During our years living there, many fires were had...I remember seeing the orange sky in the evening from our townhome in Thousand Oaks when Simi was hit pretty badly a few years ago. the bad air, the ash falling from the sky, people wearing face masks if they were outdoors, no recess at school for days...That was scary enough. But it has been horrendous lately. I am in shock, a million people evacuated! The church we attended in LA, Malibu Presbyterian, is gone. I can't believe that! But they will rebuild, it is a strong church. And the fires in Irvine and San Diego...wow, whole neighborhoods gone. Jenny, my sis, lives in SD, but she is not in the fire zone, thank goodness! She said it has been crazy! Her work, and her husband Justin's work, has been closed all week. She lives near Qualcomm Stadium, where the evacuees are going. She and Justin are actually leaving SD tomorrow and heading up here, with dogs in tow. They were planning to come on Saturday for her friend's wedding, but now, they get to come earlier....yippeee...and I am glad she'll be out of there. Fallbrook, one of the towns I mentioned that I wanted to move to, is/was completely evacuated. Wow...and we have friends with family who live in the San Marcos, Oceanside areas, hope they are OK. Crazy...
BUT also, it was interesting when I watched Anderson Cooper on CNN, and he was at Qualcomm Stadium, showing all the donations and snacks and the pretty calm situatioin going on there...and he said it was nothing like the stadium in New Orleans after Katrina! Ha,see California rocks! We take care of our people.
Ok, so moving on...today Joe and I went on a field trip with Spence's pre-school to the pumpkin patch. Can't believe next year he will be going to the patch with his kinder class...my baby...it was so weird, the other day, we were watching some video of Spencer when he was Cooper's age and he sounded just like Cooper! He was all pudgy. I got so choked up watching that. They grow up so fast. I can't even remember when he was that small. Now he's a big boy, writing and remembering all kinds of things and using his big vocabulary and only wanting to use grown-up plates and silverware and cups. "I'm a grown-up now!" he declares. not yet, my sweet boy...not yet...so mamas, hug your babies tighter because they won't be babies much longer....and go videotape!

School and more

Spencer had his first day of school last week. He was ready! His last year in pre-school! He's the big kid now. :-) I survived two weeks in grade 1...whew...it's getting better. However, I have some naughty boys...one of whom decided to go to the bathroom right outside the classroom! You should have seen the face of the parent who saw it and came in to tell me...but we will survive. Well, short post for now, since it is taking me forever to type this...cooper got into the computer again...and ripped off the space key and now I have to hit this tiny button to space things...can't wait for Joe to fix it...he is in Tahoe for a bachelor party this weekend...

Big Bed Bed & Goofy Boy

Yesterday we did it...we put away the crib...and put Coop in a big boy bed, well, a toddler bed, anyway...he has trouble staying in it at bedtime, though. I am going to follow supernanny's advice and keep putting him back in, without talking to him, each time. Supernanny and Dr. Weissbluth, my sleep guru. say it will get worse before it gets better, but it will get better! I'll keep ya posted....

Here are some goofy pics of my big boy Spence...one with his "Harry Potten" glasses (as he says it) and one with a random clown wig we found in the closet. The thing about simplifying and getting rid of stuff, you never know quite what you'll find.

That's about it for us...just doing the everyday summer stuff...swimming, library storytime, playing, bike rides, popsicles, helping Daddy mow the lawn, etc., etc...

Because he's so cute...and a new tradition

Jenny took these of my little man...can't believe he posed for her...can't get him to even look at the camera for me....she's very talented, isn't she? Hopefully she'll be opening up her own studio one of these days....

Also, wanted to share a new tradition I shamelessly stole from Jamie Waters (love her blog...she's is adorable and has 4 kids!). When it is your birthday in our house, from now on, I will make a photo display of favorite photos of that special person. I did it for the boys this year. Spencer enjoyed seeing himself in all the pictures, in fact, he was a little put out when I returned the original pictures to the frames. "Hey, where's my picture?" he wanted to know!

Have a wonderful weekend!

the buzz on Spence

OK, this post is dedicated to Spencer,

* loves, obsessed with trains and The Polar Express...he plays that "game" all day long...I said I could throw away all of his other toys because he plays exclusively with trains...he loves making the trains have problems, "Oh, no, the ice is cracking" (a la Polar Express)...too cute! Grandma, you better get him the Polar Express train set for his birthday

*whenever he makes a wish, he always wishes for a dog...maybe I see a dog in his future???

Good thing he can't read this blog yet!

*is so exuberant about life! Wakes up happy, happy to see us, happy about life!

*loves music...especially Laurie Berkner, Jack Johnson, Depeche Mode, Kids Songs CD set...he goes to sleep at night listening to his CDs...moms, I highly recommend this, he hardly ever gets out of bed now at night b/c he has his CDs! Love it!

Have a great week!!!!! :-)