The Love of Learning

We are taking full advantage of this time when the kids are loving learning.  They usually love to do "home school" stuff and learn tons about animals from the Kratt brothers, math and science from Curious George, and reading skills from The Electric Company and Super Why - we love PBS!  I don't think it is normal to talk about silent E or bar graphs with a 3 and 5 year old, but I think it is COOL!

I have always wondered what we would do once they learned to walk and talk.  What could be cooler than learning to self feed, to walk, being potty trained and stacking more than 3 blocks?!   But, I have found that I am loving this new stage of life!  So cool!

Open House

Tim had a volleyball game the night of Grace's open house, so we took along the camera so she could give him the tour via pictures.  We had a list of places our child was to show us (loved it - and will steal that idea some day!) so she showed us all around her room and school.  Her Jelly fish, Mr. R, her fish she made, "the line", her spot on the floor, and the art room up stairs where her cloud was that she had painted.  The highlight was of course the ice cream sundae at the end of our tour, though!  :)

The Art of the Selfie

These make us laugh out loud every time we look at them! :)

All day birthday fun!

The beauty of a holiday birthday!

We started the celebration with Jiffy Pop on Sunday night for a late dinner, then camping in the back yard.  Blueberry and chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast (whip cream and sprinkles make anything festive and "good enough" for a birthday cake! {Cupcakes for school tomorrow and a "real" cake to come on the 18th!}) and presents first thing in the morning- awesome!  We made a trip to J&K to get Grace her first fish as one of her gifts.  Rainbow is all set up in his new bowl - she is one proud fish owner!  She spent the afternoon crafting with her new crafting supplies from Aunt Toby and Uncle Galen - even drawing her new fish and his friends during quiet time!  And finally her favorite meals all day: The pancakes, Papa Johns for lunch, and chili mac and corn on the cob for dinner.  [It's like a birthday for me when I don't have to cook - but as the day went on I found myself questioning if I should be offended that her favorite meals are not ones I fix!]  What a great day for a birthday!

 From the top: Rainbow (her fish), a gold fish, 2 Glow fish, Nemo, Flounder, and a cat fish.



Happy Birthday Grace!!!!

 And I'm sorry, Grace, but I have to include this one.... we get this look a lot from you when you are mad!  We love you anyways!!!



Kids say the darndest things

This is a wordy post.... I don't want to forget the day we had with them!

1.  Cooper was crabby tonight as we drove around trying to decide where to eat out.  He was convinced he didn't want to eat anywhere.  As we pulled into Arby's he frustratedly exclaimed, "I knew it!".  (This one sounded better than it reads, I think.)

2.  Grace's preschool class is broken into two groups throughout the day. They change every month. Last month - Eeyore and Tiggers. Tonight at dinner we asked what she was this month. "I'm a squirrel and they're nuts!"  We told her she would have to say that to Mrs. Kelley on Tuesday to which she replied, "She already knows they are nuts!"  It was all just to funny and Grace wanted no more of it!  She thought we were laughing at her!  How can we teach her it is a joke?!  I also sit around laughing about the dozen or so kids that have to tell their parents sometime this month that they are nuts!  LOL!!!

3.  Cooper asked the bag boy for a sticker tonight at the grocery store.  The boy gave him about 15 stickers at which point Cooper told him that was "too much."  The bag boy looked utterly confused and said to me "I didn't know there was such a thing as too much!"

4.  At dinner Cooper had to take a poo break, and Grace said, "I have to poo as well!"  (It's kind of contagious around here!)

5.  Grace is an emergent reader!  She read her first "real world" word yesterday in the van:  "Press" on her seat belt.  And, today she read the word "Give" on a "Give Thanks" decoration.  It is so cool to hear her reading words and we are soooooo proud of her!!

School Days.  :)

Sending love to Dad as he was off to school, and then some coloring pages rewarding Cooper's great job at his first day of school!  No crabbing and off he went!  Such a big boy!  They were concerned that he wouldn't play with anyone else, but after I explained that he is stubborn and he will be fine when he chooses to play, they were fine with it!  (He pulled the, "I don't like these kids" thing on them.)  Other than that, they said he did a great job!  He told me all about how Moot was on the boat and that he told them his name and what color he was.  I love that they get to take an animal with them the first day.  :)  So this is it - our new normal.... The Drakes DO school!  :)