Archive for August, 2011

Serenity’s First Day of School!

Thursday, August 18th, 2011

 

8/16

Serenity’s first day of school!!!

Serenity is just so excited about school.  The day we went to register she sang the whole way to school, “I’m going to school!  I’m going to school!”  She has no fears or qualms about it either, she just dove right into the toys and slides, occasionally introducing herself to classmates.  When I took her into school we passed one of her teachers and I pointed her out, and Serenity said, “Hi Miss Poleman, I’m Serenity!”  I just wonder how many times she introduces herself to her teachers and classmates =)  After I dropped her off I wanted to go right back, not because I was worried or sad, but because I was so CURIOUS!!  I just want to know how she reacts to everything, and what they do, and how she gets along with the other kids.  But I resisted poking my head back in to see what was going on and headed out to my birthday brunch with Jen.

When I finally got to pick her up, her first words to me were, “I wanted to stand by the blue flag but I had to stand by the green flag.”  Hopefully she didn’t complain too much to Miss Parent about having to stand by the wrong flag!  (The flags correspond to my spot in the pickup line.)  When I asked her about my day, she told me she slid down the slide with Lauren.  Lauren was the only other kid she mentioned by name, unless I asked about some of the others we met at registration.  Evidently she also wanted to play at the water table with Lauren but instead she colored.
I kept asking lots of questions, and learned other little tidbits about her day.  She did a parts of the body dance with Mrs. McBride in Science class.  They sang ABC’s in music class.. probably also a song about four little blackbirds sitting on a cloud, two named quiet, two named loud, as I found her singing that in the bathroom later in the evening.

When I got her out of the car, she said, “Welcome Home said Mama” which may have been from a book they read…

 

And then, at bedtime she told me “you cooperate at school… but I didn’t.”  But she said she’d cooperate on Thursday  So evidently she did something she wasn’t supposed to, but I don’t know what! And I think a teacher told her no and she cried about that, possibly that was when she was told she has to cooperate at school.  I guess I’ll have to wait and see if the teacher says there are problems.  Oh, and she was still wearing the same dress and panties I put on her in the morning, so no accidents at school yet!  She told me she used both potties.

 

Oh, and just as a note so we remember, she has five teachers in her classroom, although they might not all always be in there.  I’ve met Miss Parent, Miss Poleman, and Mrs. McBride.  The specialties for the days she goes are Music, Science, and Words.

 

Serenity's First Papers from School =)

Serenity with her Backpack =)

Serenity in July…

Thursday, August 18th, 2011

 

Some quick notes from Serenity’s journal for July before I post about school!!

“I’m sorry, I just LOVE to build puzzles.  I LOVE to build.”  Apologizing to Henry for taking his puzzle apart without asking.  She kept repeating to me, “I LOVE to build!  I LOVE to do puzzles!”

 

Serenity was eating cherries with me this morning and decided to do one by herself.  So she bit it in half.  The pit was still in the other half, so she dug it out.  I was about to congratulate her on figuring out how to eat cherries when she stuck the pit in her mouth and then spit it into the bowl…And then ate the last half

And she told me, spit rhymes with pit!

 

“Hold it” Eric said, “Hold it!”  when Serenity was having an accident.  So she reached under and tried to hold the pee with her hand…  Didn’t work so well. =)

 

I said, “I love you Serenity.”  She replied “We are in love” =)

 

7/25/11

“I’m a cradle!  Donovan likes to lay on me.  Are you a cradle Mama?”  As I was holding Donovan in the rocking chair at the time, she decided I was indeed a cradle.

 

Found Serenity trying to be helpful today… She had a bottle of foaming hand soap and she was squirting it on the carpet and scrubbing it.  Guess we’ve had our share of potty training accidents.

 

“I pooped and peed on the potty!  That means I’m cool and awesome!”

8/5

“I better answer the computer’s question!”

Serenity has a new IPAD game, “Stack the States!”  Henry had it on his computer so we decided to get it.  Since her birthday, she’s learned all the states by shape!  And she can find them on a blank map.  She’s also learning some of the state capitals and landmarks.  She especially likes Little Rock, Juneau (which sounds like Jen-U), Hartford, and Pierre.  I’m pretty sure she likes Pierre because she calls it “pie-er” So it sounds like pie.  She is pretty sure that Alabama should be pronounced Ambelina, and it sounds so cute I don’t insist. She is newly obsessed with everything map related and we love indulging it since we love maps too.  I got a world map vinyl sticker for her hideaway, and we’ve put together her us map puzzle several times.  She can answer about half the questions all by herself now.  If it asks abbreviation or what state borders another, she can figure it out by looking at the name and using a picture a blank map respectively.  I help her still with most capitals and landmarks, and we are both learning the states nicknames!   Such fun for us all!

Serenity using the easel Grandma got her! Thanks Grandma!!!

 

We made a knight costume in honor of her Backyardigans addiction =)

Donovan is Two Months Old!

Sunday, August 7th, 2011

 

Donovan is two months old!  We are just the luckiest family =)  He is such a sweet, easygoing baby.  We all love him so much.  Serenity must tell him ten times a day, “I love you Donovan” and “Awww, Donovan is so cute!”  =)

I saw this done as a monthly photo idea... wondering if I can photoshop him onto the calendar for months one and newborn =)

7/12

Donovan is growing so fast!  He’s started smiling in response to people =)  Just last Friday, the eighth, I noticed he was very happy and smiley with me when we were rocking in the chair.  We’d just eaten though, so I wasn’t sure if he was just content from the food, but the next day Jack was making faces and he smiled back at him!  It’s so wonderful!  Today he was sticking out his tongue when his Daddy did.  Henry, Jack and Patricia have been visiting so we have had lots of busy days around town.  I’ve been using the Moby wrap sling with him and I love it.  He loves it too, at least when he’s drowsy.  Eric got Donovan to play tug of war with him too, using the little plastic skwish-like toy.  He wrapped his fingers around it and Donovan held on.  He’s doing great with tummy time and turned his head back and forth several times.  It might have been to dodge his sister though, who likes to climb onto his tummy time mat with him.

Smiling at Jack =)

7/27/11

Donovan is really looking at things now!  I finally got the kites hung in his room, along with some Curious George decals and his name that I cut out with my new Silhouette.  When I took him up there to show him he was fascinated by it!  He really looked intently at all the things flying on his ceiling, and he even smiled!  And then later I was organizing all the toys I’d packed away and I pulled out the blue lion puppet.  I was tickled him with it, and roared, and gave him kisses.  He smiled and even made a little giggling sound!  He definitely thought it was funny.  Too cute!

8/5

Donovan is still growing like crazy!  He seems to be nearly the same size as his cousin Braley who is more than two months older =)  He’s very strong too, especially with his legs.  He loves to practice standing already.  He is lifting and holding his head up well too, but he really likes working those legs!  He sleeps six to eight hours in a row at night, and then nurses and goes right back to sleep until Serenity gets up at 7:30 or so… and sometimes seems like he’d like to sleep longer.  And he takes a few catnaps and one three hour nap during the day.  Amazing!  It’s funny, when they don’t sleep well you wish they did and when they do, you wonder if it’s too much sleep!  He seems happy and is growing well so I don’t worry too much though.

 

Six Weeks =)

Serenity is still fascinated by him, and loves to snuggle and tickle him all the time.  She gets so excited when his eyes are open that I have to remind her sometimes that tiny babies need lots of sleep and we should try to let him sleep when he wants to.  He’s very accepting and mellow of all the attention, and he loves to be talked to of course.  Lots of smiles and little happy noises!  He loves to look at pictures on the wall, especially the kites and the gigantic family canvas I have on my wall.  I’ve ordered one that has him in it and I’m excited to get to show it to him. =)

He loves sucking on his fist... wonder if he will be a thumb sucker instead of a paci baby...

Ann came to meet Donovan!