Second Day of School

Second day of school went much better than the first. *sigh of relief*

Bought the kids new outfits (again!) and new backpacks.  Played up school all weekend.  Practised carrying a tray of food and opening drinks.  Talked Bud into taking the kids to daycare and letting them ride the van to school with the rest of the kids they know.  Worked like a charm!!  The van driver said they went right in with the other kids with no problem.  One of the older kids promised to make sure they got to the cafeteria for breakfast.  I'm so relieved.

We just won't talk about the note that the teacher sent home with Savannah, on the second day of school no less.  A trouble maker already!  It looks to be an exciting school year!

First Day of School

First day of school was a very tramatic day for me and the kids.

As you can see, Savannah was not interested in going to big school.

And Alex wants to go, he's just not sure of everything.

Here is the best smile I could get from them:

Leaving them was a really hard thing to do.  We walked them into the cafeteria and through the breakfast line.  And led them to a table to sit and eat.  It was hard for these little guys to carry their tray and not drop their drink or milk. Alex wouldn't eat anything and Savannah ate just one bite of cereal and one bite of toast.  Alex was ready to go to his class so he ran off and left sis alone at the table.  I think he was just too nervous to eat.  Bud walked Alex to his class and I walked Savannah to her class to show them how to get there through the long halls.  Once we got to the Pre-K and Kindergarten wing, She knew which class was hers and went right to it, but wouldn't go in unless I was with her.

Bud said Alex did good until he started to leave and then Alex just started crying for his daddy to stay with him.  Savannah did the same thing with me.  She wanted to sit down and read one of the books on the table, but just wouldn't let go of my hand and at one time was holding on to my leg.  I was able to leave once the teacher was holding her, but as I was waiting out in the hall for Bud, trying not to cry, Savannah came flying out of her room and down the hall to me.  I had to take her back into the room and do it all over again.

You could tell who were all the Pre-K mothers.  We were the parents crying or in my case, trying not to cry all the way back to our cars.  Staff would see us and say "Ahh.  You have a kid in pre-k?"

I was worthless all day long.  And very glad when it was time to pick them up.  As you can imagine, we went early.  Got the last parking spot in the parking lot.  It was good to see the little munchkins. 

I was able to talk to Savannah's teacher.  She said Savannah did very well once she settled down.  Except at lunch when someone yelled at her for sitting at the wrong table.  The head start lady held her until the teacher could.  The teacher just had to hold her for a little while and then she was better.  My heart just hurts.  Who yells at a little pre-k kid on the first day of school for sitting at the wrong table?  They're just babies.  They don't know!

Bud found out that Alex did very well his first day.  He was happy to see us though!  He has told me since then that he wants to be Sissy's class because he doesn't like his.  I hope it all changes and things settle down.  I can't stand to think of my babies scared, unhapy and amoung strangers.

The handbook tells us we can only walk them in the first two days of school.  Bud thinks they will be fine, but I think they need to eat breakfast at home.  At least until they get used to the school and then they can do breakfast at the school.  It's such a big scary place for such little ones!

BLAST FROM THE PAST

Today I had a real blast from the past.  My sister and I were at the park with the kids.  It was a very hot day.  Not as fire hot, can’t breath when you walk out side as it has been, but still hot.  Sitting in the shade with a little breeze wasn’t so bad, but the kids were getting thirsty. 

My sister suggested snow cones. “Makayla loves snow cones.”

“My kids have never had a snow cone.”  Sad but true.  They’ve had slushes from Sonic, but no snow cones.

My sister was shocked.  “Well it’s about time they do.”

The kids want to ride with Makayla and Aunt Kathy.  Fine by me.  I like a quite ride with my husband.  We take off for The Hut.

I order a medium White Coconut snow cone.  It’s been years since I’ve had a snow cone and even longer since I’ve had a white coconut one.  When Makayla brings it to me, it looks like a harmless cup of fine ice shavings melting down into clear water.  However, when I scoop up that first bite and put it into my mouth, I feel a strong physical jolt and there is a bright flash of light as I’m instantly transported back in time to when I was a young kid working at the snow cone stand.

I remember it all.  How to make the syrup (I won’t tell you that they put a 5lb bag of sugar in every gallon of flavoring.), how to run the ice shaving machine (when you do it, make sure the blades have stopped turning BEFORE you try to remove the remnants of the block of ice), and how to get the nice rounded top to the snow cone.  I remember it all.  WOW.  I even have the urge to read a Nancy Drew book, or go roller skating or call my friend Linda.  It’s amazing what the power of one little scoop of white coconut snow cone can do.  Don’t tell me time travel is not possible.  I’ve done it.  And it was a blast!

What’s your blast from the past?

G

Game Time Inflatables = Fun Times for the Kids!

I just purchased Six Open-Play passes for Game Time Inflatables in Moore for 50% off from Groupon!

Check it out!  Groupon

I know the kids are going to love this and we have until October 20 to use them!  I'll post pics after we go!

G

Camping

Did I tell you we went camping in the yard this past summer?  It was late summer, almost fall.  Bud pitched the tent in the front yard.  What a lot of work for one night!

The kids love camping.

I enjoyed the fact that I didn't have to worry about trying to find a bathroom.  I knew exactly where it was.  I had my own personal key and everything!

The tent we have is pretty big.  The whole roof of the tent is just screen.  You can lay there and look at the stars at night.  If you can see them through the trees!

There is a tarp that goes over the top to keep out rain, but if there is no chance of rain, we leave it off.  More air circulation.  And believe me, we need air circulation.  We even brought out a fan and a lamp.  The camp site had free electric hook up :).  As a side note: look out for the electric cord when you're making a dash for the restroom!

The kids and Bud seem to sleep fine.

But I just laid there looking up at the swaying trees.

Wondering if they were going to crash down on us while we were sleeping.

Thankfully they didn't.  Or this post would be about THAT!

Until next time...

G

Told Ya.

Told ya I'd be back soon.  Here I am.  Typing as quietly as I can.  The kids are asleep.  shhhhhh Don't want to poke the bears!

For my birthday this year (Yes, Happy Birthday to me!), we wend to the medieval fair.  It was great fun!  Took the kids for a ride on a BIG war horse (which we will NOT post pictures of!).  It was a very windy day.  And I do mean very.  Near extreme.  I would not have wanted to be those mermaids on top of one of the booths holding on for dear life!  And since we have not had rain here in Oklahoma for like 4 months, it was very dusty!  At the end of our time at the fair, I felt like I had been sandblasted.  But it was still fun. 

In addition to the war horses, we saw ponies, camels, elephants, hawks, owls and a host of very interestingly dressed and/or acting people. 

The kids (and Dad) went through a pirate ship.  The shot of the cannons and almost got put into the brig, which they wanted to do until they found out that the brig is the same has time out.  It's where you go when you've been bad.  Then they didn't want to go near it!

Here's the ship

Ahoy matey!

Shooting the cannons:

Arrgh!  Just escaped being put into the brig (time out)!

Here's my pirate!

Now, he's got the right hat!

Somehow, we didn't get a picture of Princess Savannah at the fair, but here she is now!

 We plan to do it again next year!  Want to join us?  This is the link to their website:  Medieval Fair 

G

Play in the Snow

So yesterday we got all bundled up to go play in the snow.

This is three pairs of pants, three shirts, 1 jacket, 1 coat, 1 vest, 1 pair of rubber boots EACH. 

Alex is wearing two pairs of mittens since he can"t get his warm ones on.  Savannah doesn't have hers on yet in the picture, but she will!

The first thing Alex does is to hike off into the yard.

Savannah stayed pretty close to Mom.

They are off to try and make snow angels.

It didn't work out too well, but they had fun!

Mom went to get firewood or there would be more pictures.  I'm glad Bud usually gets the firewood!  It's very, very cold out there!

Today, I think we will stay inside.  Unless I have to throw them out of the house for fighting.....

G



Sick, Sick, Sick and Sick again!

OK, so if you can't tell by the title, we've all been sick!  We've all had the flu and strep.  Went to the doctor on Friday and the kids got a clean bill of health (along with 4 immunization shots!).  Now the daycare calls and Alex has a fever.  When will it ever end???  Just when I thought things were getting back to normal.  Oh well.  We will just have to try and hang on until the spring.

I'm off to go disinfect something....or everything.... again.

Clothing Organization for Twins

This weekend I'm starting the new year off right.  I've washed, sorted and put away all the kids clothes.  I've pulled out everything that's too small for them or will be when summer comes around again.  I put anything too big and for summer into the storage bins under their bunk beds (Thanks Sally and Richard!)

 

Savannah has decided she likes dresses.  (After previously insisting that she hated dresses.)  I've had to buy dresses and leggings (because of the season) and I'm eliminating most of her jeans.  She's so skinny that most jeans won't fit her very well anyway.  They're either too long, to big around or too short.  I've ended up with 2 pair that she'll wear IF she's wearing the right shirt.  I'm worried I have a fashion diva on my hands.  She insists on wearing her boots with everything!!! (So, I bought her more boots! :).  I think I'd wear boots if I could find some that fit and had good support and affordable, but that's a different post altogether!).

Clothes are grouped together as outfits and folded or hung together.  I let the kids pick out, from the drawer, what they want to wear to go to daycare.  That way there's less trouble in them getting out of bed and dressed.

Shoes are stored in the shoe bin under the bunk bed steps.  Bedtime books are stored on the recessed step of the bunk bed.

Boots (sans the ones they currently have on and the pair outside that needs to be cleaned) are stored along the wall under the desk.

How long do you think it will all last?  Hopefully until the next laundry day.  We shall see!

Merry Christmas from the Wards

The Twins Love Christmas!

Pictures with Santa

Family Picture

I apologize for not posting sooner.  Life just has away of throwing a curve ball at you.  Things are better now, but it was a bit rough there for a bit.  Now we have hospital bills, but I'll worry about that after the first of the year.  Right now, it's just time to have fun with my family during this holiday season!  Here's wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Young and in Love

I love scraping in monochromatic colors.  It can be the theme of your pages or as in this case just the coordinating back drop.

This is my mom.  This is my favorite picture of her.  Ever.  I just think she was so beautiful.  

Here she is laying on her bed in her dorm room at college and looking at a picture of her childhood sweetheart.  The picture that she is holding is the same picture  you see below.  Oh to be that young again!

(By the way, that's my dad she's gazing at so lovingly!)

Until the next scrapbook page...

G

Ward Woods Wildlife

We have bats!  Yes, we do.  Came home from Walgreens one day to find this hanging from our mosquito netting.

I don't know what kind of bat it is.  Anyone know?  Fortunately it was on the outside of the netting. 

Until Bud tried to catch it.

Now it's on the inside of the netting.

We never did catch it or see it fly out of the front porch.  I'm always wondering if that things is lurking somewhere on the porch.  Under the kid's picnic table?  Under the lounge chair?  Under the chair I sit in?

We have spiders, too.  These grandaddy long legs nest right by the front door. Maybe the bat will eat them?  One can only hope....

In this picture, they are still.  What  you don't see is the whole mass pulsating.  It's just freaky!

We also have hawks.  This baby got caught in the mosquito netting.  Pretty thing.

I've got my eye on you!

Ignore the clutter please.. Focus on the bird.

One the plus side, it seems we have fewer squirrels this year.

You're free little hawk.  Fly away!

In addition to the bat, the spiders, the hawk, squirrels, raccoons, possums, yellow crowned night herons, owls and other assorted birds, I found this black beauty asleep on our porch.

I think she's hiding from the hawk.  She must have heard about my friends cat.  They just live a few miles from our neck of the woods.  Katie (the cat) was sunning herself by the patio door and suddenly WHAMSMACK!  A hawk flew right into the glass patio door.  Sat dazed on the ground for a while before it flew off.  I think Katie is still hiding somewhere in their house.  She doesn't want to be dinner.

What wildlife do you have at your house?

G

Halloween Bon Fire

There's just something about fire that's so mesmerizing. 

As I sat by the fire tonight and gazed into the bright flames,  I let myself be still  and listen to the wonderful sounds of numerous family conversations going at once.   Laughter abounds as children run about with masks seeking to scare some unsuspecting family member.  The wolf mask goes really well with the princess dress, don't you think?

It was the perfect night.  Just cool enough to sit close to the fire, and warm enough that you didn't freeze if you were doing something away from the fire.

Gaze deeper into the flames.  You're content to not move.  Stuffed full of good food and soda. Life is good.

 Now for smores and hot chocolate.  What more could you ask for?  Life is very good.

G