Fun Weekend!

We had a great weekend - so much fun, in fact, that the kids were asleep by 7:30 tonight - unheard of these days!  Friday they didn't have school so I took the afternoon off and took them up to the pool.  We stayed until almost dark Friday night swimming and playing and we had two exhausted kiddos.  We all went to breakfast Saturday morning when my tennis match was cancelled (rain) and then had a birthday party that afternoon.  The birthday party was held at a martial arts class and they gave away three free classes and a uniform - and Katie won!  They (because of course that means I now have to pay for three classes for Tyler  :)) are excited about karate and I think it will be fun!  We probably won't start the three classes this week, though, because that might be a little too much on top of the exhausting stress of school!

Today we went to the fair, and had a blast!  Tyler didn't understand why we didn't play games when the people asked us to, but he really liked seeing the animals, and the tractors, and especially the market they had set-up that taught you about gardening, fishing, eggs from chickens - all the ways we get food. The highlight of that part of the fair was the corn box - it was definitely a hit with Tyler who loves sandboxes, but not really the sand!

Of course, the fair rides are the biggest hit of all - even with Disney to compare to!  They are still too short for the classic fair rides that I know they will love - swings for Katie, bumper cars for Tyler, and the ferris wheel (surprisingly, but they both wanted to do it desperately), but they were more than content with the numerous rides that were available that didn't require a Disney like line and seemed to be a lot of fun for them!

 

Another half day of school tomorrow.  We are going to both take them again tomorrow and then I need to go to work and Lance will watch them tomorrow afternoon.  Tuesday will be a full day and I am anxious to see how it goes.  Our anniversary (12 Years!!!) is this coming weekend and we have typically gone to the beach around this time for an end of summer trip.  This year my babies will have been Kindergarteners for more than a week by then!!!  

First Day of School!

Well, yesterday was the first day of school and all went well!  I started crying when we were walking - don't know why - guess it just hit me that my little ones are growing up way too fast and at "real" school they expect them to be way more independent than at preschool!  Or maybe it was that their backpacks look so huge (and they are the small size)  :)!

They were so excited when they woke up and got dressed and ate breakfast and even on the walk over.  But as we turned the corner and they saw the throngs of people they started clutching our hands a little tighter and as we were in the hallway on the way to their classrooms they were squeezing hands with all their might.  Katie was trying so hard to be big, but she was absolutely petrified.  She gave us hugs and kisses and we almost got out the door to take Tyler to his class when she came running to Lance, eyes as big as saucers, and latched on to his leg.  I wanted to take a picture in front of her locker and asked her to smile, and this is all she could manage.  She was talkative and smiling when we picked her up though (even though they came running out the door and gave us the biggest hugs ever as if they were starting to question if we would come back)!

Lance stayed with Katie for a bit and I took Tyler on to his classroom (didn't want to be late on our first day).  Tyler did great - said hi to the teacher, put his backpack in his locker, found his desk and began checking out the classroom and trying to read the things on the wall.  He was having a hard time smiling too, but he was determined to be a big boy and he actually seemed to get a little annoyed that the parents were all hanging around.  He was ready to get on with it!  The highlight of his day seemed to be that they toured around the school and in his words "learned where everything is" - he likes to feel like he is in the know!  Both of their teachers seem great - Katie's is more laid back and really wants the kids to just learn to love school, which I think is great and great for Katie.  Tyler's teacher seems a little more by the book, and structured, which is definitely preferable for Sweet T!

It was a half day (as is Monday - they are off today), so they didn't have a typical schedule which upset them a bit since I told them they would see each other in the lunchroom (but Tyler tells me I have to call it the cafeteria) and at recess and they didn't go to lunch or have recess yesterday.  They are excited to go on Tuesday when they get to do that, plus have PE, music or art class!  Tyler lucked out and has a friend of his from preschool in his class.  Katie doesn't know anyone, but Lance managed an escape (and got to say bye to Tyler) by getting one of Katie's outgoing classmates to show her around so at least there are some in the class that can hopefully help her adjust!  They sure do have plenty of children to choose from - there are 7 classrooms of Kindergarteners all of which seem to have 20-25 children and unfortunately Katie is on a list of ones that would have to be moved if they need to hire an additional Kindergarten teacher.  We will know after today if too many enrolled and they have to add a class, but the teachers seemed to think that there would be room in a couple of classes and that wouldn't have to happen - we'll see!

We went to the pool yesterday afternoon and the kids were absolutely exhausted by bedtime.  Lance wasn't home when I put them to bed and I told them he would be up to say goodnight and not 5 minutes later when he walked in the door they were already asleep when he went in!  Tyler then fell out of bed (guess it is a good thing we haven't gotten their new beds yet) and when we went racing up to see what the noise was we picked him up and put him back in without him waking or stirring at all.  I guess he was just so tired that he was in a super deep sleep!  All the stress of a first day of school, followed by swimming in the pool wore them out!  I was so impressed with Tyler jumping in (couldn't get a video since I didn't want my phone to get wet) and Katie's swimming - they are doing great after their visit with grandparents and swims with cousins!  Next week when there are full days should be interesting - I bet pool won't be on the agenda!

School...

Well, just got a call (voicemail message) from Tyler's Kindergarten teacher and she didn't mention Katie so I am assuming they are in separate classes.  I am OK with that - couldn't decide which I preferred anyway so we let them make the call.  I think it will be good for them academically.  It could be more difficult socially because I fear that Katie will make friends easier than Tyler and be invited to stuff that he isn't - especially since parents will probably not know that there is a twin sister/brother - but they will figure it out!  More updates coming soon - hopefully.  I can't believe it starts this week and it is pretty unbelievable how much I miss my "babies."  I can't wait until they are back home, and I am almost as excited about them starting school as I was when I started - I LOVED school and so hope they do too!

"Quick-cation"

Lance coined the term "quick-cation" this weekend and it is very apt.  We drove down to Florida on Saturday and stayed by ourselves while the kids visited with their grandma for a few days.  We drove home on Tuesday and they are still there and will come back next week.  I already miss them terribly and just worry incessantly even though I know it isn't rational.  They were both super excited to be on the beach with us when we first got into town, but were anxious to see their grandma so willingly went to dinner with us and then on to her house.  We kind of wished they were on the beach with us the next day too, but it was great to be able to completely relax and not have to watch out for anyone or anything but the waves and a magazine!

I am also super stressed because Lance and I are now both driving cars with check engine lights on.  He is going to have to get something new, but we have to figure out what is wrong with mine and keep it functional for a few more years.  Finding the time to take it in should be easier this week sans kiddos, but work is also pretty stressful right now for both of us so it is just something that is on the list weighing on my mind.  I am a ball of worry with school starting and obsessing over whether they will do ok in school, if they are truly ready, and if Tyler is going to struggle with fitting in at the new school too, trying to coordinate the kids getting to my dad's and then home (and trying not to demand that they come home now so I can see them), trying to find insurance with a tight deadline of August 1 now that the insurance at work is increasing yet again, etc., etc.  BUT, I know the kids are having fun and it is good for them to get to spend time with family - not to mention that we have no child care now or for the first month of school and I know they would much rather be swimming and playing than with us trying to figure out how to work and watch them!  My sister even took her kids over to my mom's and they all had a ball playing in the pool - and my kids really love their cousins and swimming so I truly am glad they are getting this experience.  Tyler even bowed to "peer pressure" from watching all of the other kids and his sister and started jumping in and ever since has been in and out of the pool with leaps and running jumps. I am so proud of him for finally getting up the nerve to do it and know that he is so proud of himself too!

I can tell all of my grand plans to get things done around here (cleaning out the garage, cleaning for real and maybe even doing some touch-up paint, convincing Lance to get real beds for the kids) aren't going to work out as expected, but I am holding out hope for the weekend.  I've gotta do something to keep busy to stop me from getting in my car and going to get the kids  :)! 

Summer Fun!

We have had a lot going on and things don't slow down anytime soon - but we are having fun!

Last weekend we (the kids and I and a friend of theirs from school) went on a Nature "cruise" - which was really just a pontoon boat around the Cumberland, but really fun and it was great to get on the water!

This is the kids last week at their school.  We leave in two days to go to the beach for a couple of days and then the kids are staying with my mom and then my dad.  So excited for a little beach time (my girls trip got cancelled this year and we can't do the usual trip in August because of school)!  Last week the kids were the "winners" on Tacky Thursday dress-up day (and Lance even played along when he dropped them off) and today is Super-Hero/Princess Dress-up day - they sure are going to miss preschool!  I still can't believe that when they get back from visiting grandparents they will start Kindergarten!  I am hoping to use the time while they are away to get everything in order - school supplies, uniforms, backpacks, etc.  Maybe if I keep busy I won't miss them quite as much - since as much as I look forward to a break and they look forward to seeing family, I still miss them like crazy from virtually the minute they are gone!

The kids have had swim lessons (and the final one tonight if no rain since they keep closing even the indoor pool when there is thunder) and are doing pretty good.  Still not swimming, obviously, but they are getting the hang of it.  Needless to say, their floaties are still an absolute necessity anytime they are near water! We, luckily have another month of weekend pool time to work on it even though summer break from school is almost done.  The kids told me today that they want to have a pool birthday party - don't think that is going to happen (sounds way too stressful), and I don't know that when their birthday comes they realize that they will have not seen any of their preschool friends for more than a month, and will have a classroom full of new Kindergarten friends, hopefully.  We will probably just do something with family, again, and try to get them an extra special birthday present.  Tyler really wants a bed with a slide (a loft bed), and they both want "big" bikes so if we can get some closings between here and then hopefully we can make that happen and that will make up for a lack of party!  Starting Kindergarten, turning 5, real bikes, big beds, learning to swim - I just can't believe that my little "babies" are old enough for all of that!

Mom Guilt

I am suffering major "mom guilt" right now.  Tonight we were working on sounding out words (it has been a while) and they seem to have forgotten a lot of what they once knew.  They were doing so well with being able to identify all of the letter sounds, upper and lowercase, and now just try to guess at the words when they see the pictures or the first letter.  I just have not had time to really work on it with them lately and I feel so guilty that I haven't been able to fill in the gaps left by them transitioning to a new class and that teacher/director knowing that they will be going to Kindergarten and not having a vested interest in their progress.  This is when being a working full-time mom really sucks.  I know that there simply aren't enough hours in the day to get it all done, and I know it will get worse when they get busy with school, and I just have to try to make the best of it and know that it will all work out.  They are smart kids, and I know that they will do fine and I am just projecting.  I know that because they will be the youngest (and probably smallest) they will be judged more harshly regarding their kindergarten readiness and I just have to realize that there is nothing I can do about it and be confident in my belief that they are ready for school and that they would have been going to school no doubt if not for an arbitrary date change. 

In good news, we finally have swim lessons scheduled!  Tomorrow night they will have their first semi-private (just Katie and Tyler) lesson.  They are so much more comfortable with water and seem to really want to learn like some of the other kids they have seen at the pool so I have my fingers crossed that these lessons will be more beneficial than the group lessons.  In the next two weeks they will have five lessons and I am hoping that they (or I) will at least learn something that we can build on to really get them swimming!  They just have two weeks of preschool left, then a week with my family, and then Kindergarten.  I really can't believe it - Tyler said tonight that he likes to still snuggle with us even though he is almost five and it is true, whether he knows it or not, that our snuggle time and time spent hanging out as a family out of preference is probably pretty short  :(.  I have to remember that when I obsess about developmental stuff, because I know that it won't mean much in a few years and definitely isn't worth worrying over! 

Happy 4th!

Well, none of our 4th of July plans came to fruition since it rained, and rained, and rained and is still raining!  We had a fun day, though.  We got our raincoats and rain boots on and splashed around in some puddles, went to see the new Despicable Me 2 movie (really cute), and spent the afternoon cooking ribs in the oven with the kids playing (and destroying the house) all sorts of pretend games, and actually playing really well together for the most part.

It is supposed to keep raining most of the weekend, so I am not sure what our plans will be but I kind of agree with Tyler - he was downstairs playing with Katie early Thursday morning and we overheard him say, "Katie - I am so excited it is a stay-home day - it's awesome!"  They woke this morning and Tyler asked if he was going to Kindergarten today.  I told him no, but crazy to think they only have two weeks left of preschool, will spend a week or so with my family, and then they are officially Kindergarteners!