Noah's Field Day/Last day of PreK

Noah had his last day of PreK on Thursday.  His last day also happened to be Field Day, so it was a super fun day.  I worked there most of the day, helping with setting-up, lunch in the garden and manning my station "the bike races" for preschool, preK and Kindergarten. 

All the kids in the ECC (preschool-Kindergarten) did a handprint on this mural

This was during free-play at the Duck, Duck, Splash station

Then the kids went nuts and started dunking themselves in water

Lunch in the garden was fun

Noah's handprint from the mural

By the time I left, the preschool and preK were in their classrooms having rest time and the Kindergarten was out doing the stations.  I knew the fire truck was scheduled to arrive at the end of the day, so Elliot and I rushed up there and got there just in time.  I thought Elliot would want to get sprayed by the fire hose, but it was a little intimidating for him.  Although he loved seeing the firetruck!

Noah, not so intimidated :)

It was hot and muggy and the perfect day for a good hose down from the KCFD

Gavin, Noah & George lined up to go back into class (10 minutes before school was actually "dismissed")

One last jump roping session on the playground after school.  Catherine is one of the "best rope swingers", according to Noah.  He's quite the jumper, with his personal record being 184 jumps in a row.  He held the record, until recently when Libby from Miss Erin's class got 214.  :)

It has been a great year for Noah.  He's made some good friends that he'll be going to school for at least the next 9 years with.  He is already reading and is going to do great next year in Kindergarten.  On Noah's assessment, he "passed" everything on their checklist.  This was the note from Miss Mary.  I am so proud of Noah.

And I wanted to save this sweet note that was on her final newsletter she sent home on the last day of school.  She's a great teacher and I'm so glad Noah had her this year.

Elliot's last day of school

It's the end of an era.  Elliot had his last day at Rainbow School last week.  He's been going there since he turned two, just once a week for not even a full day.  Rainbow School is fun.  They not only play outside on a playground at recess, but have a designated "outdoor classroom" time where they work and play in the garden, sandbox, riding cars, etc.  Outdoor classroom time was always Elliot's favorite because it had a sandbox.  Elliot LOVES sandboxes.  

Elliot was excited to give his teachers their Starbucks gift cards he got for them.  He wasn't sentimental about it being over though.  He's excited to be home all summer with Noah & I.  Although he likes Rainbow School, he still picks being at home with Noah & mom.  Next year, he'll be in preschool two days a week at St. Elizabeth's.  He'll be on the bottom floor in preschool and Noah will be in the same building on the top floor, Kindergarten. It'll be nice having them together.

Our little gymnast

Noah has been really excelling at gymnastics.  He has a great coach, who really gives great direction, corrects them when they don't do things perfectly, but still is very positive and encouraging.  From day one she has told me how awesome and strong Noah is.  Friday, at class he did several pullovers in a row on the bars.  He's been able to do them for awhile, according to my definition.  But, he is now doing them in perfect from from beginning to the proper end and that takes a lot of strength.  He's able to do several in a row.  I sit up high in the bleachers, which is why I don't share videos and pictures.  I can't really get decent ones.  But, after class Friday his coach came to me and said he is ready for the advanced class.  She said it's not normal for "Munchkins" to be able to do all the skills he does.  She's working with him on a skill where he's in a bridge and flips out of it.  He would have more time to work on this skill and others in the advanced class.  She wants him to be not just ready, but super ready, in her words. So we'll probably wait a month to switch him.  It will be the same amount per month, cost-wise, but it's Thursday evenings.  Friday mornings really are better.  Also, we won't have the same coach, who I love.  But, she assures me the advanced coach is great.  And I trust her.  Very proud of Noah.  He's not only strong, but a perfectionist.  He works diligently, tirelessly to get things "right".

This video of him doing a cartwheel at home is the best I could come up with right now.  I'll try to see if  his coach will let me sneak down for a video of him doing his pullovers in a couple weeks.  We'll miss next week, as we'll be out of town.

Just hanging out at the park

Lunchtime visit & bike ride home

Last week we had the perfect storm for a bike ride to school.  Kids were up early and ready and the weather was nice :)  But, when we were in the garage getting our bikes ready Noah INSISTED that he wanted to ride his old, tiny 12" bike.  This bike is what he first learned to ride without training wheels when he was three.  It's Elliot's size.  I discouraged him, but he insisted.  So I told him he'd have to pedal a lot harder and we took off.  He was fine until we got on the Trolley Trail.  He was slower than usual and said he had to pedal harder.  By the time we hit QuickTrip he wanted to stop, but I told him we had to keep going.  The hill up 74th Street until you get sweet relief at Main was a struggle on that itty bitty bike.  After resisting singing "I told you so, I told you so!" I asked him if he'd like me to bring up his big bike and switch them out while he was at school and he did.

I showed up around 11:45, which is right when they line up from recess to go into the cafeteria.  The timing wasn't planned, but Miss Mary saw me and motioned Noah over.  He is a big rule follower at school and instead of running excited to see me, he was worried because he was supposed to be in line and was missing prayer before lunch.  He did want to show Elliot his cafeteria though.  So we followed him into the cafeteria.  Miss Erin gave Elliot a chocolate milk and we sat with him long enough to have some milk and have Noah show him around and then left.  It was a lot of fun for both the kids.  I wish I had packed a lunch for us and we would have stayed and just eaten with his class.

After school it was pretty hot.  Noah was doing much better on his bigger bike though :)  We stopped at QuickTrip on the way home for a treat.  Elliot chose an icee and Noah picked the biggest donut he could find.  I had a zone bar.

climbing a tree at QT

Heading home.  Our last bike ride of the year home from school.  Next time we do this, he'll be a Kindergartener.

Zoo field trip with Noah

This year, I had not been able to chaperone for a single field trip for Noah's class.  To be fair, there was only two other ones, but I never had someone to watch Elliot.  So I volunteered for the final trip of the year, Zoo day, way in advance determined to find someone.  Luckily, my sister, Sam, has graduated from college and just finished a long-term subbing position so she was willing to watch E.  It was a very hot day.  My extra kid had a schedule conflict and was going to meet us at the zoo later in the morning.  I understood his mom would call me when she got there and we'd meet up.  Easy Schmeasy.  I only was in charge of Noah for awhile.  I then got an extra kid, since his chaperone's son was sick.  

I love volunteering at school.  It's really fun and hysterical watching the kids together.  They are just so funny.  It's also hard work and makes me really appreciate the teachers.  They work so hard.

This is Noah & Gavin on the bus to the zoo.  Riding the bus is such fun for them.

The group of kids we spent the day with, waiting on the Tram to take us to Africa
(Sam, Maddie, Delaney, Charlie, Oscar, George, Gavin & Noah)

These goofballs were putting on the most hilarious "show" for us on a stage

Waiting in line for the carousel

Oscar & Noah doing their best fish face

Fin & Noah on the bus ride home.
Finn was my "charge" that came late.  His mom ended up staying with us for the field trip & we had a great time.

 

Mother's Day 2012

I had a great Mother's Day this year.  I started off meeting a friend for tea at Starbucks.  By the time I got home, Paul had put both kids down for a nap.  We hung out on the deck and had a glass of wine. The weather was just perfect out.  Warm in the sun, but in the shade you wanted a light jacket.  That afternoon we met Mom, Rick, Sam, Grandma Lois, Grandpa Gene for a picnic at the lake.

Both of the boys brought gifts home for me they made at school for Mother's Day.

This is the front of Noah's card

The inside of Noah's card

The back of Noah's card

This is a laminated photo/magnet of Elliot.  I love his expression. This is what he does if someone says "smile!"

Noah planted this flower for me

We decided to meet at Lake Jacomo and enjoy the weather.  We had a nice picnic.

Skipped rocks and explored around the lake

Fished with Grandpa Rick

And Noah practiced his batting, with Grandpa Rick giving him some good coaching

We decided to rent a pontoon for an hour.  It was fun and relaxing.  The kids took turns being "captain".

Overall it was a great Mother's Day.  Got to spend time alone with a friend, my husband, kids and of course my own mom and Grandma.

Riding in style

"Do you want me to call 911?"  "No," I said through clenched teeth.  "I'm ok."  Said in the same way people do when they trip over nothing, and try to retain their dignity in the face of total humiliation.

Noah and I went for a bike ride Friday night, designed to give me some wind-down time after work, Noah some wind-down time before bedtime, and a chance for Mandy to get E down to bed after a long day.

We hadn't gone but a few blocks, and were heading downhill towards a roundabout when I warned Noah to slow down a bit.  For some reason known only to him, he decided to stop.  If I were driving a car, I would have been ticketed for following too closely (which would have been cheaper, in the end).  

I tried coming to a rapid stop without destroying my son in the process, and ended up on the ground so quickly that I couldn't tell how I landed.  My hand hurt like hell, as did my knee, and I could barely breathe.  As I stood back up, I looked to my left and saw a lady walking her dog, standing there with a horrified look on her face and getting ready to dial her phone when she asked me the question.  Noah looked at me with concern, and asked me what happened.  What happened was he stopped suddenly, and as I tried to do the same without running him over, I went down.

My knee - the same one I just had surgery on not too long ago - was already bleeding, and after I waved off the dog-walker and allayed Noah's fears, we got ready to keep going.  Inspecting my knee with concern, Noah said, "Dad, you're really brave.  I would be crying if that happened to me."

We ended up riding nearly four miles before coming home. Noah was more cautious afterwards too - not about crashing, but about his dad's ability to handle a bike safely.  As I was riding up behind him at one point, he heard me and veered off the sidewalk and across someone's lawn, saying, "Dad! You go in front of me!"  After I got him to bed, I noticed road rash on my stomach, and a splitting pain in my ribs.  I have no idea how I landed - I don't know if I hit the handlebars or the ground - but I clearly screwed something up more serious than my knee.

A couple of sleepless nights later, I finally went to the ER to get my ribs X-rayed.  The good news is it is either a bruised rib or an intercostal muscle strain, and not something broken.  I should be healed in a few weeks.  Unfortunately, it takes me out of my exercise groove for awhile.  Ironically, once I get on, riding a bicycle is the only thing I can do that doesn't hurt so I may be doing that for awhile.

Random recent photosEll

Elliot in the spin thingy at a favorite playground

Rolling down the hill

My little monkey tree climbing.  Who needs shoes for that?

Too tired to play soccer

At St. E's after school, with Noah's friend, Finn

His new favorite thing to do at the park.  Climb on TOP of the monkey bars

Miss Mary & Miss Anita with Noah on portfolio night at St. E's

Daddy-Elliot time

After his soccer game ended on Saturday, Mandy took Noah to Branson and Elliot and I got to hang out together for the weekend.

Noah, Elliot and I went for a bike ride to the coffee shop (or, "the muffin shop" as they call it), and Noah ended up playing hard at the nearby playground for about an hour before his game. He was already tired out from the night before, but he did score a goal during the game.

But off they went, and E and I had lunch, then he went down for a nap.  Afterwards, we rode bikes, chatted (non-stop; Elliot takes after his mom in this regard) and played outside.  He even helped me clean the upstairs deck - he loves the sprayer on the hose, but it's tough getting him to actually spray what I needed sprayed. That night, he kept asking me when Noah was coming home, and every so often he'd say, "I miss Noah."  They fight like an old married couple when they're together, but they really do want to be around each other.

We went to Starbucks for our usual coffee and chocolate milk at the crack of dawn the next morning.  Since it was such a nice morning, we took it to go for a change, and strolled the Plaza "discovering" all its fountains and animals.  We even toured a couple of parking garages - one an underground garage, because as he put it, "My mom told me there was a dragon in this dungeon."  We went looking for the dragon, but never found it.

I had a good time walking and talking.  It's good to separate them once in a while, not just to provide a break in the brotherly squabbling, but to actually get to talk.

After we got home, it rained - poured - for a good three or so hours, and we were stuck inside.  We played a few games, read a few books and cleaned a little house.  We even watched a few videos - one Elmo video got Elliot to laughing, and he kept saying, "I need to tell Noah about this one!"

Eventually, we got out of the house and ran a few errands.  We stopped by Indian Creek to look at the waterfall created by the rain, then he got to pick the place he wanted to eat dinner.  Culver's (or Culbo's as he pronounces it) was what he eventually settled on.  Elliot told me, "I like Daddy-Elliot time."  I did too.

"What happened to their heads?"