Monday, September 29, 2014
Monday, September 1, 2014
August 2014
Today is Labor Day, September 1, and our last day of summer. Will goes back to school tomorrow, and Emma starts Thursday. Wednesday is the first day of Awanas (Will's last year of Sparks, and Emma's last year of Cubbies). Emma's ballet classes start up again Wednesday too. This coming Sunday is promotion Sunday, so both kids will go to their new classes. Since I teach the preK 4s, Emma will be in my class!
Last week we had meet the teacher times at both schools (Shelton Park Elementary and Bayside Presbyterian Preschool), and the kids got to see their rooms and talk to their new classmates. Will has 2 friends from his first grade class in his new class, and he's excited about the first day of school tomorrow. The bus stop is still right in front of our house, so I'm happy about that! The kids are looking forward to using their new backpacks and lunchboxes Aunt Abby sent them.
During August, we celebrated Will's 7th birthday with a weekend visit from Uncle Ian. We had a family party at home, and went to Motor World for mini golf and go-karts. Will had so much fun hanging out with his uncle, and has been playing a lot on the DS Ian gave him. The following weekend we had a small pirate pizza party for Will and some friends at the park. On Will's real birthday, August 7, I took him and Emma out for a day of fun. We ate brunch at IHOP, then went to Build a Bear, and finished up at the Kids Zone at the rec center. He also really enjoyed opening the presents that his grandparents, aunt and great aunts sent him from around the country.
Also at the beginning of the month, Jered and I were able to go on a date to celebrate 12 years since our first date (and our first date in almost a year!) thanks to our neighbor's daughter, who watched the kids. We went to see Guardians of the Galaxy, and had dessert at the Cheesecake factory. Emma had her follow up sleep study right after Will's birthday, and it went so much better this time. Now I know the right kind of cannula to ask for, and that makes all the difference! We're waiting on results still, it takes several weeks.
We spent more time at the pool this month, playing at the parks, bowling, and finishing up summer reading. We also went to the Gator Water Park on base a couple of times, and Will went on the big twisty slide at least 25 times. He loves the water, and now he's swimming so well. Sometimes we race and he can almost beat me. He definitely dives and swims underwater better than me! Emma likes the kiddie pool and splash park there. She also likes it when other little girls bring their mermaid toys and she can play with them!
The kids had their annual physicals recently. The doctor said "your kids are both very tall!" and they are doing well. Emma's anemia is much better, but she needs to continue her iron medicine for another 6 months. He also recommended eye exams for both of them. I needed mine too, so we all went together last week. Will got his first pair of glasses that he needs for reading the board at school, but not for close up reading, and Emma avoided it for the present. Will had fun picking out his glasses and case, and he looks very cute in them.
Last week we had meet the teacher times at both schools (Shelton Park Elementary and Bayside Presbyterian Preschool), and the kids got to see their rooms and talk to their new classmates. Will has 2 friends from his first grade class in his new class, and he's excited about the first day of school tomorrow. The bus stop is still right in front of our house, so I'm happy about that! The kids are looking forward to using their new backpacks and lunchboxes Aunt Abby sent them.
During August, we celebrated Will's 7th birthday with a weekend visit from Uncle Ian. We had a family party at home, and went to Motor World for mini golf and go-karts. Will had so much fun hanging out with his uncle, and has been playing a lot on the DS Ian gave him. The following weekend we had a small pirate pizza party for Will and some friends at the park. On Will's real birthday, August 7, I took him and Emma out for a day of fun. We ate brunch at IHOP, then went to Build a Bear, and finished up at the Kids Zone at the rec center. He also really enjoyed opening the presents that his grandparents, aunt and great aunts sent him from around the country.
Also at the beginning of the month, Jered and I were able to go on a date to celebrate 12 years since our first date (and our first date in almost a year!) thanks to our neighbor's daughter, who watched the kids. We went to see Guardians of the Galaxy, and had dessert at the Cheesecake factory. Emma had her follow up sleep study right after Will's birthday, and it went so much better this time. Now I know the right kind of cannula to ask for, and that makes all the difference! We're waiting on results still, it takes several weeks.
We spent more time at the pool this month, playing at the parks, bowling, and finishing up summer reading. We also went to the Gator Water Park on base a couple of times, and Will went on the big twisty slide at least 25 times. He loves the water, and now he's swimming so well. Sometimes we race and he can almost beat me. He definitely dives and swims underwater better than me! Emma likes the kiddie pool and splash park there. She also likes it when other little girls bring their mermaid toys and she can play with them!
The kids had their annual physicals recently. The doctor said "your kids are both very tall!" and they are doing well. Emma's anemia is much better, but she needs to continue her iron medicine for another 6 months. He also recommended eye exams for both of them. I needed mine too, so we all went together last week. Will got his first pair of glasses that he needs for reading the board at school, but not for close up reading, and Emma avoided it for the present. Will had fun picking out his glasses and case, and he looks very cute in them.
Thursday, July 24, 2014
July 2014
July has been a month full of swimming and outdoor activities, as well as continuing our summer reading and other programs at the libraries. Will and Emma both took their first swimming lessons the first 2 weeks of July. They had never had lessons, although we've worked with Will a little on holding breath, kicking and floating. They loved the lessons, and were always first to volunteer for each part. Emma finished the 2 weeks, and then ballet/tap started up again, so we're waiting until next summer for more lessons for her. She still needs to work on holding her breath and floating. But Will completed level 1 lessons, and moved on to level 2. He just completed level 2 today, and he's swimming so well now! I can't believe he went from not swimming at all to swimming so well in only a few weeks. He is looking forward to level 3, whenever he can get into more lessons. I posted a video below from about 2 weeks ago at our community pool when he first started swimming. It was like one day he couldn't, and the next day he was swimming! Now he can go halfway across the pool.
This month Jered started back to college, beginning his junior year of his bachelor's degree. His first class is pre-calculus, and he is working very hard on getting back into the groove of studying and testing, as well as keeping up with his job. He has been so busy, but has gotten a few days to go swimming with the family, and a couple of family movies. We take advantage of the $3 movies on base when we can. We just watched How to Train Your Dragon in 3D on base, followed by supper at the McDonald's down the street, for less than $30. Gotta love being close to a base! We definitely missed that part of the military lifestyle in San Diego.
We have one more month of summer since school doesn't start up until after Labor Day for both kids. We are hoping to enjoy more swimming, the beach, and summer library activities before school begins in September.
June 2014
In June, we celebrated Emma's 4th birthday and the last day of school (both on June 13th), and enjoyed a visit from Baba, Meemaw, and Abby, who also flew in the night of June 13th. We went down the Kitty Hawk, NC, to see Kill Devil Hills, where the first flight was made, drove up to Williamsburg to see the historic town, and took a tour on the Victory Rover of the naval base areas in Norfolk. Abby stayed through the weekend to see Emma's first dance recital at the Sandler Performing Arts Center on June 21st. June also signaled the end of the Awana year, and a break in dance classes for Emma after her recital. She loved dancing on stage. I was afraid she'd get nervous or freeze up (the theater seats right under 1500 people), but she had a blast. Her class was very cute, and we enjoyed seeing the other performances too.
We had Vacation Bible School (themed Agency D3: Discover, Decide, Defend) June 22-26, while Jered was on a work trip in Fort Worth, Texas. I taught the grades 1-3 Bible Study class with our pastor's wife, and really enjoyed the curriculum. Each kid was a "secret agent" investigating the evidence of Christ's saving power. The kids were very excited about it, and Will was totally on fire about the study. They gave the kids a song CD to take home (definitely not the same kind of VBS songs I remember - think secret agent movie themes!) that they listen to in the car a lot. Will had been asking us about baptism for a couple of months prior, and attended a class on baptism the week following VBS. We are very happy that he has decided he wants to be baptized and make public his personal relationship with Christ.
We also started Summer Reading programs through the Virginia Beach Public Library (and partnership with Will's school, Shelton Park Elementary), and the JEB Little Creek base library. The kids read a certain number of books per week, and they get prizes. Will finished all 20 of his books for both programs within a couple of weeks, and Emma and I have about 15 each, so we're still getting some prizes. They also have programs like weekly crafts, movie afternoons, puppet shows, and other weekly activities like Lego Club that we have been enjoying this summer.
We had Vacation Bible School (themed Agency D3: Discover, Decide, Defend) June 22-26, while Jered was on a work trip in Fort Worth, Texas. I taught the grades 1-3 Bible Study class with our pastor's wife, and really enjoyed the curriculum. Each kid was a "secret agent" investigating the evidence of Christ's saving power. The kids were very excited about it, and Will was totally on fire about the study. They gave the kids a song CD to take home (definitely not the same kind of VBS songs I remember - think secret agent movie themes!) that they listen to in the car a lot. Will had been asking us about baptism for a couple of months prior, and attended a class on baptism the week following VBS. We are very happy that he has decided he wants to be baptized and make public his personal relationship with Christ.
We also started Summer Reading programs through the Virginia Beach Public Library (and partnership with Will's school, Shelton Park Elementary), and the JEB Little Creek base library. The kids read a certain number of books per week, and they get prizes. Will finished all 20 of his books for both programs within a couple of weeks, and Emma and I have about 15 each, so we're still getting some prizes. They also have programs like weekly crafts, movie afternoons, puppet shows, and other weekly activities like Lego Club that we have been enjoying this summer.
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