Thursday, September 24, 2009

Chug-a-Chug-a CHOO CHOO

This morning I had the opportunity to help in Owen's classroom. It was so fun to see him with his friends in a school environment. He did such a good job! I do not envy those two teachers though; they have their hands full! They are both truly amazing at handling those 3 year olds!

As they went through their morning routine, one of the things they discussed was classroom jobs. Owen's job this week was line leader...

Rewind to the first day of school...

Apparently the first day, to teach the children how to walk in a straight line, they pretended to be a train. All of the children walked along saying chug-a-chug-a CHOO CHOO, as they went to their classrooms!

Owen has NOT forgotten that day, and now everytime they go anywhere in a line, Owen has to be a train. It was especially important to him today as line leader. He was so cute bouncing down that hallway, chug-a-chug-a-choo choo-ing his way along.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

On this day...

On this day, two years ago, I found out that I was pregnant.

Scratch that.

On this day, two years ago, two pink lines confirmed that I was pregnant... In my heart I already knew.

On this day, I set about making Owen an "I'm going to be a Big Brother" shirt so that I could share the wonderful news with the proud papa when he arrived home. I was ecstatic about this pregnancy.

On this day, I called my OB, and they gave me a due date of June 7, 2008. All that I could think was, "What a perfect birthday present."

On this day, I was as certain as the day is long that this baby was a girl.

On this day, our family celebrated a new addition-to-be. We couldn't be more excited to bring this new life into the world.

On this day, I was happy.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Baptism

September 12, 2009

After a long string of events in our local church community, Matthew and I decided to become members of Saint Susanna parish, and have the boys baptized into the Catholic faith. It was a very big decision for us, but we know in our hearts that it was the right one for us. We really love Saint Susanna and feel at home there. The things that matter most to us are there, and we're prepared to let go of the little things.

We were very fortunate to have all of our friends and family join us for the boys' baptisms. It was so nice to have so many people there who cared about our boys.



Eli

Owen

Godparents: Sara and Todd


Godmother: Jodi

Godparents: Kelly and Stephen

Eli's birthday party invitation



I just finished Eli's birthday invitation. I can't believe that he's almost ONE!!

Monday, September 21, 2009

Owen's first day of school and first field trip







August 11, 2009- Owen's first day at Saint Susanna
Owen started preschool at Saint Susanna in Plainfield. He'll be attending Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30-11:00 am. His teachers' names are Mrs. Hughes and Ms. Kelly. He loves both of his teachers but he has a very special place in his heart for Ms. Kelly. He even confided in me that he thinks that she's pretty :)
Owen was very excited about going to school, but when it came to actually getting out of the jeep on that first day, he was pretty nervous. He cried as he walked into school, but when I picked him up they said that he had stopped almost immediately.
Now he really seems to enjoy going. He talks about his friends, and share the songs and prayers that he does at school. It's really fun to watch him learn new things and grow up!

These are a few of the pictures that I took his first morning of preschool.









September 15, 2009- Owen's first Field Trip to Andersen Orchard
Owen was super excited to get to go on his first school field trip. Matthew and I both chaperoned, and Owen was thrilled to have Daddy ride the bus with him to the orchard. Once we got there, each child was given bag that they were able to fill with apples they picked in the orchard. The children really enjoyed getting to pick their own apples right from the trees!

After we filled our bag, we went back to the orchard store for a snack and cider. Then it was back to Saint Susanna. It was a really fun day, and I am thankful that we were both able to be there for his first field trip!

Getting off the bus at the orchard



Picking the perfect apple.
Posing with Dad and Mom

Back to School!

Peas and Carrots

That's what I'd like for my children to be this year for halloween. The "peas" costume is already decided upon. My wonderful friend, Sara S. made this for her son when he was ten months old and has kindly loaned it to my little sweet pea for this halloween. It's adorable and I love it!!





The problem is what to dress Owen as... I would love for them to coordinate because I realize that the days in which I can dress them in coordinating or matching clothes or costumes are seriously numbered. But what coordinates with peas?? Meatloaf? Tuna Noodle Casserole? While these are wonderful culinary compliments for peas, they would be difficult to portray in halloween attire. Then of course I hear Tom's voice... "Me and Jenny we were like peas and carrots." PERFECT!


Now I would make the costume more "boyish" obviously, but I think that it's pretty cute actually. Matthew is trying his best to veto this idea because he think that three-year-olds are too old to be carrots. But I just don't think that's true! Owen hadn't said much about the matter up until now. Whenever we asked him what he'd like to be, he's changed the subject, but when I showed him this picture, he was PSYCHED! Now if you ask him what he'd like to be, he'll announce, "CARROT!"

We still have some back-up ideas, but Owen is not in love with any of them. The ones that we like the most are:
Garden Gnome
Doctor. (We told him he could be "Dr. Todd", but he has strong feelings about doctors in general- and is pretty resistant to this idea!)

On another Halloween note- our famous LEGO family costumes have been entered into an online costume contest for most original homemade costume. You can check it out here .

Sunday, September 20, 2009

How to Have a New Kid by Friday

Okay, so we've been having some behavior issues in this house. A lot of behavior issues! We had always tried to be consistent in our discipline, but yet we were at the end of our rope with Owen. He had managed to become a tiny tyrant in our house, and things were miserable... For everyone!

Last Monday was the straw that broke the camel's back. I was taking the boys to the zoo, and on the way there Owen decided to take the lid off of his sippy cup and throw his milk on the window. When asked why he did that, he simply stated, "I wanted to."


I was furious. I turned that car right around and we went home. I sent him to bed, and called my friend Joell to vent. She recommended the book, How to Have a New Kid by Friday.


Now I'll admit, the title alone kind of turned me off. It sounded gimmicky and too much like a "quick fix". I generally don't believe that quality things come quickly or easily- so I wasn't too sure. Joell assured me that other parents she knew had tried it and it had worked wonders for their families. I decided that I was willing to try anything, so off to the library I went.


I sat down and read the book immediately, and we put the plan into action Monday night. Owen didn't know what hit him. He cried in his room for almost 2 hours after the first incident, but finally calmed down, and woke up the next morning with a better attitude. Basically, Dr. Leman says, "Say it once, turn your back and walk away". Now of course this is more easily said than done, but surprisingly, the concept works really well! Tuesday was a really great day. Wednesday, he decided to test the waters and see what he could get by with, but Thursday and Friday brought with them a different child.
Today is Sunday, and although today was slightly bumpier, I still feel like we're on the right track. I at least feel like I have some tools to help me deal with my strong-willed son. "How to Have a New Kid" is all about teaching your child to be accountable for his or her choices. Owen will tell you right now, "I'm learning to make better choices."
I realize that this isn't a miracle cure, but man have things changed in our house. I don't feel *quite* as much like a crazy person now. We'll see how things go... We've got a long road ahead of us, and Matthew and I are going to have to remain diligent with this course of action, but I think that it will all be worth it...
BTW- Thanks Joell!

Dinosaurs and the Big Guy

Actual conversation between Owen and I this evening...

Owen: Are those crickets outside?

Me: Yes.

Owen: Are they just little bitty?

Me: Yes, they're little bitty.

Owen: They don't bite?

Me: No, crickets don't bite.

Owen: Dinosaurs bite.

Me: Yes they do.

Owen: Why do dinosaurs bite?

Me: Because that's how they catch their food.

Owen: Why are dinosaurs big?

Me: Because that's how God made them.

Owen: God must be REALLY big.

...

Me: LOL



I love these little moments. I love the way that I can watch the thoughts rolling around in his head as he formulates his next question. The way that he thinks amazes me. These are the things that I want to never forget about my child.