09.07.2011
Due to our move, the boys are attending a new school this year! We did our research and prayed about this move for the boys, as the school was at the top of our priorities. And the new school has been great! And now today is was the last day of school for 2011, and I'm finally blogging about the first day of school. I've got a bit of ground to cover if I want to catch up by Christmas. At least many of the posts are not going to be long ones like the last one!
Joshua's first day of 4th grade!! I can't believe he's that old already. {sigh}. He's so excited to go back to school though!
09.08.2011
Because of staggered start, Toby started 1st grade the next day:
here are the boys together, on Joshua's 2nd day, and Toby's 1st day
and here they are in front of their new school!
and a beautiful sunset we witnessed before school
Toby's all ready in his classroom
9/9/10
Well this year is Toby's BIG first day of KINDERGARTEN!! That's right. Our little Tobe is a big kinder!
Joshua started 3rd grade this year. 3RD GRADE people!!! I can't believe I have a kid that old.
(I didn't get Joshua's picture until after school)
Toby has been excited for kindergarten to start ever since the beginning of July, when we went shopping for school supplies. He picked out that big orange backpack and the orange jacket (can you guess his favorite color?) and he brought it home and stuffed all of his school supplies inside and hung it on his hook and waited for school to start.
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| Toby took a shower in my bathroom to get ready for school, and when he jumped out he was wearing his tie. (Laughs!) |
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| Then we went outside and took pictures |
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| we walked over to school...Toby took a free ride on Brent's shoulders |
Check out the new classroom!
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| Ollie and I on the school grounds...on our walk back home |
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| Martha Washington, stalking our garden |
After school we had to take pictures again, to include Joshua
I think it's safe to say that Toby is going to LOVE school.
I am SO behind on blogging. It's hard to even think about doing it. Plus I'm feeling very private right now. This is a time full of anxiety and complicated emotions. And I'm getting very awkward in my pregnant state, so the pictures...well...I will post some anyway. For posterity.
So here's to catching up:
First, the
Jog-A-Thon! It was a large success. It was one of Joshua's favorite events of the year.
This is Joshua's 2nd grade class. His cute teacher in the front, Mrs. Nelson was a long-term substitute for the original teacher who had a baby half way through the year. Mrs. Nelson did a GREAT job!
Joshua's in the middle in the back.
RAINY, RAINY Day
Joshua jogged 5 laps in 30 minutes. That's just over 2 miles! Good job!
Cub Scout Pack Meeting:
(I hope
Jennifer doesn't mind me borrowing her pictures...mine didn't turn out)
Joshua's first pack meeting: he received his bobkitty award and here he is pinning a pin on me.
The new comers were initiated with face paint
The three new bobcats...I think they're going to have a great time together!
Joshua is SO into scouting...he is LOVING it! I am enjoying being the bear den assistant. It is my first ever experience with any kind of cub/boy scouting.
29 weeks & still working out:
(It's been three weeks since then and my belly has doubled in size)
Willamette Shoreline Trolley:
This is an old restored trolley along the river and Brent has been wanting to ride it for 3 years!
(And the end of the line in Portland is at the very FIRST Old Spaghetti Factory Restaurant.)
The verdict:
Very beautiful ride up the river...but don't go if you strongly dislike the smell of diesel fumes and if a bumpy ride will make you uncomfortable or queasy (in addition to the diesel fumes, of course).
Chicken-Sitting:
What an absurd little story. A family at our church has a lot of chickens. They thought this silly little chicken had messy hair like our (Joshua's) friend Parker. So they let Parker name the chicken (he named it Parker), and take it home for a week. But Parker's family was heading out of town and could not return the chicken before they left, so they asked us to chicken-sit and return the bird. And the boys LOVED it. They became besties with this little chicken.
(That's Toby's 'fake' smile)
Good times!
Piano Recital:
Joshua did great at his second piano recital. He played "Au Claire Du La Lune", and "When The Saints Go Marching In". He's really taking to it and loving it. (It is so nice to find some activities that your kids LOVE, no?). A couple of Sundays ago he asked me if he could practice the piano. When I said yes, he asked me if he could practice ALL day?!?
The Last Day of School:
Another silly story. Today (June 16th) was supposed to be the last day of school. I know, it's rather late. But it's ok because we start later in the fall (September 8th), and we have a week and a half for Spring Break. The weather is usually nicer here in the fall. Anyway, because of budget cuts school was let out last Friday instead. That's alright by me (and Toby)! We are happy to have Joshy around again...he has been volunteering to do the dishes every day since school got out, and he's just such a nice boy! I'm just nervous about school starting again in the fall. Toby will be starting Kindergarten (gulp!). I don't think I'm ready to let go of that little guy!
Joshua with his two favorite helpers
Joshua's class and his friend Parker.
Hello Summer!!
(and unseasonably cool weather and more rain. Blech!)
But at least I can sleep in.
2009-2010 preschool co-op with Toby, Carter and Mason.
This preschool has been the highlight of Toby's week this year. He loves writing his name and his letters, doing art projects and playing with his two best buddies. It has indeed been a bit of a daze...a preschool run by two mamas with new babies, and one mama coping with the loss of her baby/dealing with morning sickness and major fatigue. But it's still been fun all around for everyone!
Joshua is plenty busy with school this year...and it's only second grade. We were told that second graders would only have 20-30 minutes of homework a night...but most nights he ends up spending 3 hours on his homework! Part of that time is spent doing extra reading that is not required. Part of that time is spent whining and procrastinating said homework. And part of that time is due to the extra homework that he sometimes gets because of his quick advancement in reading and math. We're really proud of him, but man oh man! It can be hard work trying to get him to stay focused sometimes.
I have documented some of his recent projects and fun stuff:
BONE diorama:
This is a diorama that he made after reading all 10 books in the Bone Series, by Jeff Smith, in lieu of writing a book report for each individual book. It was lots of fun, but also a lot of work! The only things that I helped him with were getting proper (modest) clothing for the little polly pocket that he used to portray "Thorn", and I helped him glue and re-glue his little clay "Phone Bone" character together until it was stable enough to survive a day at school. Now, don't go on getting too impressed with him reading 10 books so quickly. They are graphic novels...so they are very easy. The books remind me a little of 'Lord of the Rings'...and they are fun (I read them too). My only complaint is sometimes too much skin showing in the illustrations (nothing a little permanent marker can't fix...but I don't recommend that action unless you purchase the books first).
RECIPE PROJECT:
These next set of pictures are Joshua making cookies for his homework. He had to write down his favorite recipe and then make it and submit a picture of him making it. Yep. Yummy homework. He choose to make POWER COOKIES. Yum. I really liked this homework, since he is not a cooking kind of person by choice (unlike Toby). I've been trying to get him interested in cooking more. Maybe making cookies will do the trick!
CRAZY HAT DAY:
Eating breakfast in his crazy hat. Days like these are part of what makes school fun!
I look forward to many more years of homework and projects and creativity and learning together with my kiddos!
