2005 (off by about 10 days)
2006
2008
2009
2010
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
hot! hot! hot!
Our a/c unit was fried in the hurricane. And you can stop asking... yes, this would be covered by our home owner's insurance. But, we have a $1000 deductible and the repair cost is $1226. Not worth filing a $200 claim and having our rates go up.
Yesterday, it was this outside..... if you can't read the print... "feels like 96*F"
Which lead it to be this inside:
We used fans to pull in the "cool" air last night and managed to get it down to 86* this morning. I am waiting for the repair company to call and tell me the part did not arrive today like they said it would. If it does come in, they may be able to fix it this afternoon. If not, hopefully it will arrive tomorrow.
Here's what the kids did yesterday after school when they probably should have been taking a short nap. Again, both claim they slept at school. It was just too hot inside to expect them to sleep.
Yesterday, it was this outside..... if you can't read the print... "feels like 96*F"
Which lead it to be this inside:
Here's what the kids did yesterday after school when they probably should have been taking a short nap. Again, both claim they slept at school. It was just too hot inside to expect them to sleep.
Monday, August 29, 2011
aftermath
I only editted 2 photos from the Irene shots I took. We had lots of small branches down around the rest of the yard, but really not too bad. We got that cleaned up yesterday, but didn't get to the tree yet.
But, here's the tree that fell just next to the house...
and here are the supplies Lew bought Sunday morning...chainsaw & milk. I thought it was kind of a funny combo... and I was already outside snapping pictures. I didn't run back in for the camera just for this. Although, I may have. You never know.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
the first day... second half
We've been planning this child free lunch for a long time. First, we were going to go out for Indian food, but decided not to break out diets, so we went for sitting on the water and enjoying seafood. I even asked the waiter to take our picture on the first day of kindergarten!
Both seemed to really enjoy it and can't wait to go back again on Monday! I really don't think we could have asked for a better first day experience!!
Mmmm... the fresh catch of the day was tuna and we ordered it with double veggies!
Then Lew had to rush off to a meeting and I went home and baked some pumpkin muffins so they would have warm muffins for snack when they got home. Oh yeah, put this on my MOTY application! But, that made me leave the house a few minutes later than I wanted to. Luckily, I got a spot in line that was at least into the school's street. Many cars ended up on the main road waiting.
You have a sign in your car saying which kids you are picking up. As you approach, they walkie talkie into the school and someone brings your kids out. You never get out of the driver's seat. The school lady opened the van and loaded them up. It will be the same way for Drop-Off. They will open the van and the kids will jump out.
Back home and heading inside for snack....
Smiling after their first day at school!!
For snack, Gretchen made her famous Purple Milk (mix Strawberry & Chocolate Quik).
Carl ate 3 muffins! Gretchen ate 2! They were pretty hungry, I guess. Oh wait, I mean, my muffins are that good!
While they ate, I asked them more about their day. Gretchen had talked my ear off on the ride home. Carl, too, but mostly Gretchen. She was almost crying at first, frantically telling me that her lunch box note got wet and she was begging me to write her another one that said the same exact thing! I also learned that there is a nurse at school in case you fall down and get hurt. "We took a tour." Carl's first report to me was "We saw someone crying." Someone at the end of the day was hurt, I guess. Not anyone in their class.
I learned you need a note from your parents to be able to use the computer. Gretchen said "We had lunch in the cafeteria and I loved it!" I asked her what the foods were (pizza or a sandwich) and I asked her if she would have eaten one of those. "NO!" Next, I learned that you "choose your drink, go through the line, give the lady the money and ask if you can buy this." Gretchen bought chocolate milk and Carl chose white. Both of my kids claimed that they took a nap at rest time. I learned, "2 kids were still alseep when the lights came back on!" Both found that funny.
I learned all of that on the car ride home. And Gretchen's final car statement was:
It! Was! Awesome!
So, during snack, I kept quizzing them and learned even more about kindergarten.
Me: Did you like school?
Carl: I was kind of scared, but I kind of loved it but I was a little scared.
Me: Did you like school?
Gretchen: Uh huh.
Gretchen told me only 11 kids were there today (staggered start) but all the kids would be there Monday. The teacher only had to tie 2 persons shoes. I learned Gretchen had to four different pictures on the alphabet rug before she found one that no one else was sitting on. Heart, cake, necklace... she landed on igloo. I aksed Carl, what did you sit on? "Goldfish. Letter F."
Gretchen was talking and Carl butted in, "Excuse me, Mom. During my nap I snored!" I asked him what he did on the playground and learned "I did the slide two times in about one day." He did know a couple of his friends' names already. Cool. Gretchen reported about playing with a friend on a playground toy. "Me and my friend were so happy!"
They brought a bunch of stuff home already. They colored a fish picture when they first got there. The teacher read them The Kissing Hand, they did a worksheet about the book and they each made a painted hand print with a poem about that book above the hand. Here are the hands...
About 5:30, Gretchen came to me and said, "Oh I forgot to tell you. All 4 kids at my table were talking about the hurricane. The teacher said we sounded like a bunch of adults talking about the hurricane." Gretchen thought that was a riot!
Daddy was happy to go over all her work when he got home.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Irene, Goodnight ♫
She's already gone. Left us with lots of branches down, one fallen tree and one kaput air conditioner compressor. We actually were able to call a repairman and he came out on the day of the hurricane! Oh, it was costly. But, still... he came out on the day of a hurricane. And, gave us the bad news.
We never really lost power, though. We had maybe 20 blips. One of those is what did in the a/c. The cable TV went out a lot, so we decided to watch a video and have a popcorn snack on Mommy & Daddy's bed before going to sleep.
The cats slept even more today than cats usually do. I think they didn't sleep well last night at all.
We were very prepared for everything... plenty of water to drink, food ready, batteries, flashlights, 3 bathtubs filled with water, all the lawn toys and furniture brought in, phones charged, gas tanks filled, 2 propane tanks ready for the grill, all laundry and dishes done and kids bathed all while we were sure to have power. I even brewed extra pots of coffee just in case we couldn't do that in the morning.
This is 10 hours after the hurricane passed us. I took a couple outside a couple hours after this, but the winds are so loud, the video is almost annoying to view. Plus, I thought you would love to hear Carl whining on this one.
OK... for the record, I did not say he had to watch "too long TV" (his way of saying 'too much TV'). What I said was, as he mentioned first... we were not plugging the computer back in and turning it on. To Carl, if I do not give him computer time, it means I want him in front of the TV. But, the TV was on all day. On 'The Weather Channel'. I didn't force him to watch it, though.
After he accuses me of this sad act of making him watch too long TV, you also hear him saying Lew did something sad, Gretchen did something sad and the cats did something sad. (No one was making him happy) Gretchen asks what that was and he states that "they bite each other". Angus plays with Molly by biting her neck. She never bites back. But, she cries to get Angus in trouble, that's for sure. Sound familiar??? Ah siblings. The cats are twins, you know.
OK, back to posting about kindergarten......
We never really lost power, though. We had maybe 20 blips. One of those is what did in the a/c. The cable TV went out a lot, so we decided to watch a video and have a popcorn snack on Mommy & Daddy's bed before going to sleep.
The cats slept even more today than cats usually do. I think they didn't sleep well last night at all.
We were very prepared for everything... plenty of water to drink, food ready, batteries, flashlights, 3 bathtubs filled with water, all the lawn toys and furniture brought in, phones charged, gas tanks filled, 2 propane tanks ready for the grill, all laundry and dishes done and kids bathed all while we were sure to have power. I even brewed extra pots of coffee just in case we couldn't do that in the morning.
This is 10 hours after the hurricane passed us. I took a couple outside a couple hours after this, but the winds are so loud, the video is almost annoying to view. Plus, I thought you would love to hear Carl whining on this one.
OK... for the record, I did not say he had to watch "too long TV" (his way of saying 'too much TV'). What I said was, as he mentioned first... we were not plugging the computer back in and turning it on. To Carl, if I do not give him computer time, it means I want him in front of the TV. But, the TV was on all day. On 'The Weather Channel'. I didn't force him to watch it, though.
After he accuses me of this sad act of making him watch too long TV, you also hear him saying Lew did something sad, Gretchen did something sad and the cats did something sad. (No one was making him happy) Gretchen asks what that was and he states that "they bite each other". Angus plays with Molly by biting her neck. She never bites back. But, she cries to get Angus in trouble, that's for sure. Sound familiar??? Ah siblings. The cats are twins, you know.
OK, back to posting about kindergarten......
Thursday, August 25, 2011
the first day of kindergarten!
Here I am at 10:30am, already done editing the photos and sharing the morning with you.
Yesterday's dress rehearsal was a good prep for both kids. They knew what we were doing today and everything went smoothly! Both got up on their own. Gretchen was up when I got out of the shower, and Carl came in 2 minutes later and announced that he woke up at 6:24. Sure enough. He had.
Then we got dressed and headed off to school!!
For the first day, he agreed to go with us and drop them off. I thought he'd come inside, but he just chauffeured them. He did get out of the car to see the playground with Gretchen for a minute. I walked them in and got to talk with their teacher. We dropped off supplies and nap mats. Carl did an immediate test run on the bathroom. The teachers had a coloring sheet for the kids to start on at the table. 2 minutes in the door and they are coloring already! I was told there is an insane amount of coloring in kindergarten. Seems to be true so far!
I overheard Carl say to the boy next to him, "We can take naps here if we get tired. We have nap mats." Apparently, he's worried about getting tired. At home last week he informed me, "If I get tired, you have to come pick me up because I will need you." Gretchen looked up at me and said, "Now you get a break from us." The little girl sitting next to her told me, "My mommy is sad because now I am in kindergarten."
I'll pick them up at 2:30. I still have to make a sign for my dashboard with their teacher's last name and their names - so they know who to bring me. They had some already made up for other kids, but not for all. No big deal. I will come back later and update with an eyewitness account of the First Day of Kindergarten.
Before I left them this morning, I told them to have fun, that I would see them at 2:30, gave them each a hug and a kiss and turned for the door. Carl looked at me and said, "I am a little bit sad but very excited."
Me, too, Buddy. Me, too.
Yesterday's dress rehearsal was a good prep for both kids. They knew what we were doing today and everything went smoothly! Both got up on their own. Gretchen was up when I got out of the shower, and Carl came in 2 minutes later and announced that he woke up at 6:24. Sure enough. He had.
We did turn on the TV which won't be a regular morning routine, but we wanted to check on Miss Irene and see if she had made any changes overnight. Everything is still looking OK for us here. In a relative hurricane sense. You know. Then it was time for breakfast... I was worried about them getting enough to eat to hold them to lunch... protein blah blah blah... turns out, they have a snack at school at 9:30. Then lunch is 12:05. Cripes, they are going to put on the Kindergarten 15. So, I gave them smaller than planned protein filled breakfasts. PB sandwich and some ham. For the record - no one ate any of their banana.
I mentioned the TV... they are checking out The Weather Channel here...
(I digitally removed her last name from the other strap of her backpack. I stitched them on there... then didn't like how they came out, but she liked it. That is all that matters.)
New sneakers!!! They light up!! Well, 75% of them do. Sadly, Carl's pair (which I bought on ebay to find his size in Cars sneakers) has one shoe that doesn't light up. He is OK with it.
No bus ride for us, so here they are getting into Daddy's car.
I overheard Carl say to the boy next to him, "We can take naps here if we get tired. We have nap mats." Apparently, he's worried about getting tired. At home last week he informed me, "If I get tired, you have to come pick me up because I will need you." Gretchen looked up at me and said, "Now you get a break from us." The little girl sitting next to her told me, "My mommy is sad because now I am in kindergarten."
I'll pick them up at 2:30. I still have to make a sign for my dashboard with their teacher's last name and their names - so they know who to bring me. They had some already made up for other kids, but not for all. No big deal. I will come back later and update with an eyewitness account of the First Day of Kindergarten.
Before I left them this morning, I told them to have fun, that I would see them at 2:30, gave them each a hug and a kiss and turned for the door. Carl looked at me and said, "I am a little bit sad but very excited."
Me, too, Buddy. Me, too.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
dress rehearsal
This morning, we had a dress rehearsal for tomorrow's First Day of Kindergarten!!!
I woke at 3:30 and laid in bed until 6:00 when I finally got up. Let's hope that plays out differently tomorrow.
Gretchen was up by 6:30 when I got out of the shower. I let Carl sleep today because it wasn't the real first day. Normally, they wake between 6:30 and 7:00 anyway. He was up by 6:50.
Gretchen had breakfast - Carl lost that 20 minutes of time to adjust to being awake before I was trying to shove protein into him, so he declined the meal. Tomorrow, I'll get something into him before school because I will wake him at 6:30. Both got dressed.
7:23 - pulled out of the driveway. They have to be dropped off between 7:30 and 8:00. I want to be very early tomorrow because the teacher said we could walk them in for the first day and I didn't get enough of a chance to really check out the room on Monday night so I want to be very early and look stuff over quickly. Plus, I will have the nap mats and supplies to cart in - so I was happy she said we could come in with them in the beginning. But, I figure, starting next week, I will do the regular Drop-Off and Pick-Up. They come to your car and open the door to get the kids. I won't even get out of the driver's seat for either trip. Lew thinks maybe at drop-off, I don't even have to come to a complete stop. Slow down... "Duck and roll, Kiddos!"
7:33 - pulled up to school. We drove past the kindergarten playground to see that briefly and pulled back out headed for home by 7:34.
7:43 - returned home. I went one way and came home the other way. All right hand turns that way. Plus, there is construction on the "back roads" right now which means a detour. Once they complete that, I will most likely stay off the main route and have an easier drive.
So, with them getting up at 6:30, there was plenty of time to dress, eat, brush teeth and not be racing out the door. Should be good to go tomorrow!!!
I should have taken this at 7:30, but I did not... I took it on our way to our lunch picnic.
We did the school trip. Came home. Around 9:00 went back out to the fabric store to get supplies to make them snuggle pillows of their favorite computer game characters (Sketchies from ItzaBitza... if you aren't familiar with it, you won't get it. If you have pre-school aged kids, it is a great pre-reading skills game. Good for small motor, too. They have to draw pictures with the mouse and then the game actually incorporates their drawing into the game play. Really cute. They are hooked.) They have Carl has been bugging for weeks for these pillows and I kept saying I wouldn't get to them until school started. Well, with the hurricane approaching, I thought we might have some indoor time this weekend and could get a start on them!
We came home after the fabric store because it was still early. I was going to pack a picnic lunch, but Carl wanted a cheeseburger. Not too shocking. So, I packed half a picnic... drinks, fruits, crackers and popcorn... and we grabbed nuggets and a cheeseburger on the way to the arboretum. They love feeding the fish, but were so hungry - we had to eat right away! Sorry fish. We stayed about an hour and a half and came home. they are napping now.
Tonight, early dinner. Early bath. Early bedtime.
Tomorrow..... Big Kindergarteners!!!!!!
I woke at 3:30 and laid in bed until 6:00 when I finally got up. Let's hope that plays out differently tomorrow.
Gretchen was up by 6:30 when I got out of the shower. I let Carl sleep today because it wasn't the real first day. Normally, they wake between 6:30 and 7:00 anyway. He was up by 6:50.
Gretchen had breakfast - Carl lost that 20 minutes of time to adjust to being awake before I was trying to shove protein into him, so he declined the meal. Tomorrow, I'll get something into him before school because I will wake him at 6:30. Both got dressed.
7:23 - pulled out of the driveway. They have to be dropped off between 7:30 and 8:00. I want to be very early tomorrow because the teacher said we could walk them in for the first day and I didn't get enough of a chance to really check out the room on Monday night so I want to be very early and look stuff over quickly. Plus, I will have the nap mats and supplies to cart in - so I was happy she said we could come in with them in the beginning. But, I figure, starting next week, I will do the regular Drop-Off and Pick-Up. They come to your car and open the door to get the kids. I won't even get out of the driver's seat for either trip. Lew thinks maybe at drop-off, I don't even have to come to a complete stop. Slow down... "Duck and roll, Kiddos!"
7:33 - pulled up to school. We drove past the kindergarten playground to see that briefly and pulled back out headed for home by 7:34.
7:43 - returned home. I went one way and came home the other way. All right hand turns that way. Plus, there is construction on the "back roads" right now which means a detour. Once they complete that, I will most likely stay off the main route and have an easier drive.
So, with them getting up at 6:30, there was plenty of time to dress, eat, brush teeth and not be racing out the door. Should be good to go tomorrow!!!
I should have taken this at 7:30, but I did not... I took it on our way to our lunch picnic.
We came home after the fabric store because it was still early. I was going to pack a picnic lunch, but Carl wanted a cheeseburger. Not too shocking. So, I packed half a picnic... drinks, fruits, crackers and popcorn... and we grabbed nuggets and a cheeseburger on the way to the arboretum. They love feeding the fish, but were so hungry - we had to eat right away! Sorry fish. We stayed about an hour and a half and came home. they are napping now.
Between the 2 stops today, it was a great Last Day Home With Mom Before Your School Career begins!
Tonight, early dinner. Early bath. Early bedtime.
Tomorrow..... Big Kindergarteners!!!!!!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
haircuts, check
New school haircuts!
We go to the best family hair salon. They are fun, friendly, and fast. And, I think the kids always look good.
Gretchen got her nails painted light pink with glitter over that. She loves it!
They are ready for school now! Stay tuned for first day photos!!!!!!
Gretchen got her nails painted light pink with glitter over that. She loves it!
They are ready for school now! Stay tuned for first day photos!!!!!!
Monday, August 22, 2011
SAHM, re-org
My 5 years 9 months as a SAHM (stay at home mom... for my mom who is trying to figure out what I am talking about) is about to change. Not end. Just a re-organization of my duties. Usually, when I hear "re-org" it is followed by another acronym "RIF" (reduction in force) and that means... lay-offs. But that's in the corporate engineering world that dictates where we live. You know, we are breaking all records here now... having lived here 4.5 years already. Prior to that, 2 years was our average. And, I'll admit, I am antsy. Have been for a while now. I keep asking Lew "What's your next stop on the ladder?" and we can't figure out if it will be here or elsewhere. This has nothing to do with my topic. Enough rambling and romanticizing major moves.
Kindergarten is beginning. So, actually, now, I would prefer to stay put for a couple more years. We need to get this school routine down before uprooting them and starting as "the new kids". And, we do want to land at the final stop by middle school.
This is the biggest milestone we've hit in a while. Losing teeth, clipping their own seat belts, making progress on learning to tie shoes... are all important things happening right now, but the First First Day of School is much bigger.
They are ready for this challenge. More than ready. Had we not moved from NYS, they would have gone last year... they were ready then. Academically, they are going to shine. That's actually good because they won't be floundering to learn the facts right away, they can concentrate on learning how to be in school 5 days a week, all day long. They've never done that. Each has only gone 2 or 3 mornings per week. And, they were separated.
This school allows parents to decide how twins will attend school. That is refreshing and not the norm. I know many mothers of multiples who have to fight for what is best for their kids. Even here, one other school we looked at had a blanket policy for splitting all twins into separate classrooms. They claim it is to develop individuality. Do you see the irony in a policy for ALL twins that claims to be concerned with individuality???? Parents without twins love to tell me what is best for my kids, too. One dad told me it is better for twins to be separated so they have something that is their own and they are treated as individuals. Gee, really? What do you think I have been doing for the past 5.5 years? Is that how you did it with your twins? I would never presume to tell a parent "Your kids are 2 grades apart. You oughta put one in School A and one in School B across town because it will give them each something special and individual." More power to you if you choose to do that. Your choice.
Of course, we chose to keep them together. I am not in any way worried about their teacher confusing these 2. Let's just say if their teacher has trouble keeping these 2 individuals separate, she will be one of the most unprofessional educators ever to teach. The principal told me, "We keep them together unless the parents tell us not to. (which to me means, parents get to choose) We have had lots of twins come through our school." I heard that to mean, "We know what works well for twins from experience, but will respect your wishes."
So, Thursday, they will go to kindergarten together for the first time. Then, Friday, they'll have the day off. They do a staggered entry. So, Thursday, only 1/2 the class will be there allowing the kids to experience the first day with less kids and get more of the teachers attention. Then, beginning Monday, August 29th... the fun begins!
My role as the SAHM will continue for the time being. I do have the possibility of returning to teaching part time, or on a sub basis, but for now, we need to get them into the routine and give me enough time to be sure everything runs smoothly. Let's face it... I stayed home while they went to preschool and now public school doesn't cost $400 per month. It's definitely doable.
So, I have been thinking back on what I felt being a stay at home parent truly represented for me. I think this day sums up what I feel was the core of my 5 years and 9 months home with them.
These photos are from lunch on June 8th, 2011. First, notice Carl is wearing pajamas. When you stay home with your kids, they can do that if they want to. Now, look at their french toast...
Carl's has syrup. Gretchen's has powdered sugar
Kindergarten is beginning. So, actually, now, I would prefer to stay put for a couple more years. We need to get this school routine down before uprooting them and starting as "the new kids". And, we do want to land at the final stop by middle school.
This is the biggest milestone we've hit in a while. Losing teeth, clipping their own seat belts, making progress on learning to tie shoes... are all important things happening right now, but the First First Day of School is much bigger.
They are ready for this challenge. More than ready. Had we not moved from NYS, they would have gone last year... they were ready then. Academically, they are going to shine. That's actually good because they won't be floundering to learn the facts right away, they can concentrate on learning how to be in school 5 days a week, all day long. They've never done that. Each has only gone 2 or 3 mornings per week. And, they were separated.
This school allows parents to decide how twins will attend school. That is refreshing and not the norm. I know many mothers of multiples who have to fight for what is best for their kids. Even here, one other school we looked at had a blanket policy for splitting all twins into separate classrooms. They claim it is to develop individuality. Do you see the irony in a policy for ALL twins that claims to be concerned with individuality???? Parents without twins love to tell me what is best for my kids, too. One dad told me it is better for twins to be separated so they have something that is their own and they are treated as individuals. Gee, really? What do you think I have been doing for the past 5.5 years? Is that how you did it with your twins? I would never presume to tell a parent "Your kids are 2 grades apart. You oughta put one in School A and one in School B across town because it will give them each something special and individual." More power to you if you choose to do that. Your choice.
Of course, we chose to keep them together. I am not in any way worried about their teacher confusing these 2. Let's just say if their teacher has trouble keeping these 2 individuals separate, she will be one of the most unprofessional educators ever to teach. The principal told me, "We keep them together unless the parents tell us not to. (which to me means, parents get to choose) We have had lots of twins come through our school." I heard that to mean, "We know what works well for twins from experience, but will respect your wishes."
So, Thursday, they will go to kindergarten together for the first time. Then, Friday, they'll have the day off. They do a staggered entry. So, Thursday, only 1/2 the class will be there allowing the kids to experience the first day with less kids and get more of the teachers attention. Then, beginning Monday, August 29th... the fun begins!
My role as the SAHM will continue for the time being. I do have the possibility of returning to teaching part time, or on a sub basis, but for now, we need to get them into the routine and give me enough time to be sure everything runs smoothly. Let's face it... I stayed home while they went to preschool and now public school doesn't cost $400 per month. It's definitely doable.
So, I have been thinking back on what I felt being a stay at home parent truly represented for me. I think this day sums up what I feel was the core of my 5 years and 9 months home with them.
These photos are from lunch on June 8th, 2011. First, notice Carl is wearing pajamas. When you stay home with your kids, they can do that if they want to. Now, look at their french toast...
which she was allowed to put on herself.
Being on our own schedule, with no worries and having things done for each child individually, but still together.... that is how I like to think we did everything in our 5 years and 9 months together. Being there for each other and being able to give them the little fun things they wanted. Everyday little things like french toast for lunch... just the way you like it.
Sure, we went to lots of fun places - a lot - and I was able to expose them to amazing learning experiences, but when it boils down to what we loved best about our days together, I hope it is the little everyday things that they think of as the best memories.
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