Two Teeth ~ Two Brothers 7/30/12

7-29
Boys lost teeth in same day. Wyatt was brushing teeth getting ready for church, and Drake was bobbing for apples.  What are the chances. 

August 2013 Day one....check!

I walked into Greenwood toward the kindergarten hall to pick up Kenna after day one.  However, I ran into Wyatt first, who was in the process of picking up Kenna from her classroom...
"Mom! It was the best day EVER!  Kenna, I saw you having so much fun in PE, playing freeze or something.  Did you love kindergarten? Mom, Drake is in the bathroom."
He walked to pick up Drake, and he had it all under control.  All 3 of them were so excited. It was such a lovely feeling to have them so pumped about school. We are so grateful for the staff of Greenwood Elementary.
Drake said, "Mom, I got to move my pin up!  It was such a great day!"  Then, he preceded to inundate Wyatt with questions about 2nd grade.
Mrs Joyce, another 3rd grade teacher, asked Wyatt, in the hallway, how the day was going.  Wyatt said, "This is going to be the BEST year yet!!"  Mrs Joyce said that the look of pride and excitement in his eyes was priceless.
Today, when I walked them to school for the second day (against their wishes, of wanting to go alone) Wyatt was inistant that I could not walk upstairs to his classroom. I needed to get a paper from his teacher, but I backed off, and said I would get it later.  Wow, Mr big kid doesn't want his parents upstairs in the 3rd grade rooms.  geeesh!
Drake, as predicted, walked off to his classroom, cool and collected and under the radar.
Kenna, got into her room (she did allow me in) and went to hug her new friend Gabby. Priceless.

Thanksgiving Requests 2013

Thanksgiving requests~

Drake, "slimy, really slimy stuffing."

Don't you mean moist buddy? 

"Yeah.  And mashed potatoes and gravy."

Wyatt, "Hamballs." 

6/28/14 Letters to Wyatt

here are d & k's emails to wyatt....4 hrs after we dropped w off at camp:)

Jess

I hope you have fun at camp. I wish I was there with you. Did you play gaga ball? We played Jenga tonight.I miss you.

Peanut and lucy miss you too.
I hope you like camp.
From, Kenna

 

​Hey Wyatt! Its my lucky day. Nonnie 2 new book on tapes, roscoe rileys. GG dropped off my stuffed anomals and she fixed hippy hobo DJ. 

What was the first subject you did? Peanut and lucy are getting along real good. See you at boy scout camp! I love you.
From,

Drake​​

What are you looking forward to eating at Thanksgiving?

here are your answers, straight from their mouths....

Drake-Dressing with everything on it.

Kenna-Pumpkin pie and cranberries (shaped like a can:)

Wyatt-Golden rolls (he seems to think this is product all should know.  I think he is just trying to find the best word to signify that he does not want any "wheat" involved in the roll. He is currently searching for a house to live in that buys white bread products exclusively:)

​jess-mashed potatoes​

Rae Rae....off she goes!

My little Rae Rae is off tomorrow to kindergarten. On one hand, and definitely in her opinion, it is a long time coming.  There isn't a week gone by that she hasn't reminded me that she should be in first grade by now!!  The first gush of sadness came just the other day when she got out her soccer shoes and said, "Mom, I was with you when we bought these. We bought them at a store where we got Wyatt a soccer ball, too."
That's when it completely hit me. All those little errands, bike rides, playdates, lunches together are done for now.  Though little K Rae really pushes the buttons sometimes, it is going to be so sad to not have her here with me. But, oh goodness, is she ready for kindergarten. She actually thought she could just walk to school, by herself, with the boys tomorrow.  I said, "Mommies or daddies usually take their kindergartners for the first few days!"
She is so ready to follow her brothers and be a big kid.
I have come to tears as I look at her many times the past couple weeks. I just want to back up a month or so....just have a few more weeks.  But I know that even if that were possible; I'd just want a few more and a few more, when the big moment arrived.
I doubt that the tears I shed tonight will be the last, but I will follow Mrs. Iles instructions and "only cry in the hallway."
This, of course, is a bit different this year, because I give all 3 of them to school tomorrow morning. I hold comfort in that there will be another summer...in 9 months. And though I don't know where the next few months will take me, as I adjust, I do feel blessed to be at home with them, as I cannot get enough of their time right now. These young years are precious...and I am trying to enjoy each day.
I have to take this moment and process it as an end of an era....no more babies at home. I am grateful for the time we have had together this summer and the years past. This is a new chapter; an inevitable one.  Though its incredibly hard at this moment, I am so proud of Kenna Rae and can't wait to see what this year brings.

April Fools

My Foodie

Flying Mango

Luunch at Greenwood with the big kids...

Save, Spend, Give

After much thought, we decided to start an allowance for the 3 munchkins.  Wyatt is way ready, Drake a little, Kenna probably not, but we determined it is too much headache to only do it for 1 or 2 of them.  They each have 3 banks labeled; Save, Spend & Give. Besides earning a small allowance each week, they can earn "extra" by doing above & beyond chores around the house.  The point of all this is to learn to save their "spend" money to reach a goal (something they want), save in their "save" jar long-term, and "give" away some.

Wyatt was all over this new concept right away.  He ran down to breakfast the day we started, wolfed down his food and immediately started in on the extra chores.  He cannot decide what he wants to save for first; new basketball, scooter, wii game,,,,?

Drake hopped on the bandwagon & wanted to help Wyatt clean & vacuum the playroom & share the 75 cents for that.  Wyatt was fine with that, until Drake wasn't doing his share.  Wyatt, "Drake, you aren't helping.  I'm not sharing the money!"  Drake, not phased, walks out of the room saying, "I'm going to go play."  But first, he gives Kenna the 25 cents he earned earlier for another chore.

The Friendly Letter

Wyatt is learning the structure of a friendly letter.  Isnt it approprite that he write his first one to his best friend?

Absence makes the heart grow founder

Drake and Peanut hadnt seen each other for about two days. Peanut, as usual, was waiting at the door when we returned.  This sweet reunion shows that since getting Peanut for his 4th birthday, his love for this cat has not dwindled in the least.

The Little Pack

Before school this morning, they had already been on their way to Disney World, stopped to save some 'pets' trapped on a broken down boat, which were on a Disney Cruise.
Sometimes its so hard to rain on their parade that is time to get their shoes on and walk to school. Kenna loves her "mom" time, but I think she would choose to have the brothers home and lose her "mom" time.  I'm afraid to ask her to verify this;)
As the played at today at Wasserbahn Water Park in Amana, Iowa, they defined "The Little Pack."  They went down the waterslides, waiting for each one to ride, exit, then they went up the stairs again, together.  We watched several times, as Wyatt came down first, then Drake, and those two preceeded to jump up and down and scurry around, waiting impatiently for Kenna to come down, so they could all go up together.  It took all they had in them to wait, but each and every time, they waited for her.  It was so sweet and the first time I saw over a great length of time or activity that they did not falter on their decision to run as a little pack.
Speaking of little pack, here they are, again and still, sleeping, as we refer to as, little sausages.  How long can we possibly keep this going? Someday, they will be too big to fit the "wrong" way in a queen or full size bed.  So far, they are cool with it.  After some minor tugging the blankets from side to side and arguing on who has more blanket than the other, they settle in, and as far as we can tell are happy to be together.

Dear Mrs. Joyce

Wyatt's teacher, Mrs. Joyce, asks parents to write her a letter describing their child.  This is meant to help her get to know her students.  This exercise was fun for me to really think about Wyatt, his personality, and what drives him.  He also got to be the "Person of the Week" this month in Mrs. Joyce's class.
----------------------------------------------------
Dear Mrs. Joyce,

Wyatt is the oldest of three children and definitely takes on many traits of the “oldest” in our family.  Speaking as the oldest of five kids, I can relate.  He wants things organized, correct and confirmed.  As the oldest, he sometimes forgets that I am the mom, not him, and gets himself into trouble with this mistake.  He is very creative; especially with art & music.  He is a very talented drummer, which began when he was three.  Wyatt amazes everyone with his rhythmic abilities, especially on songs he has not heard before.  He also loves the piano, and has taken lessons since he was three. 

Currently, his favorite sport is basketball, though he thoroughly enjoys about any sport right now.  I have really seen him develop a competitive sense, in sports, recently.  He also developed a sense of “practice makes perfect.”  He spent many hours this summer practicing his basketball skills and other things he wanted to improve on.  Wyatt has a soft spot for animals and babies and is not afraid of a bug out there.  He absolutely loves building with Legos or recyclables; whatever he can find, always using lots of tape.

Wyatt and his brother, Drake, are 17 months apart, share a room and are very close.  Though, when around friends, Wyatt sometimes “forgets” about his brother, at home, they are joined at the hip.  As school gets underway, we are working on making sure he takes his brother under his wing, or at least gives him a smile, even if he is busy with his own friends.  Kenna, his sister, absolutely adores him and wants to hug him constantly.  As he’s gotten older, he isn’t very fond of his little sister hugging him all the time, especially when he’s in front of his friends. 

Wyatt survives on peanut butter & honey sandwiches, is obsessed with Wii & Legos, and is very loved by his family & friends.  I hope he shows much growth this year in your classroom, academically & socially and embraces the kind community you create. 

Thanks for all you do as a great Greenwood teacher!

Kenna Rae off to Preschool

Kenna started pre-k at Plymouth Nursery School with confidence and joy.  When our plans to attend Westminster preschool this fall were shattered, over the summer, with some significant personnel changes at Westminster, Kenna took it in stride.  She only knew one child in her new class, Harper.  However, she has made many friends and is having a great time.  We love her teachers, too!  Another plus is that Plymouth is just up the street, so we can walk.

Starting School 2011

The first day of school went very well.  Wyatt was quite a big boy heading off to first grade.  His teacher, Mrs. Joyce, is his friend, Margaret's, mom.  Of course, Wyatt was delighted to have gotten Mrs. Joyce as his teacher.  Wyatt has a small class, for Greenwood, of nineteen kids.  There are only a couple kids from his kindergarten class in this class, but Wyatt is fine, and happy to make new friends.
Drake was such a big boy as he went to kindergarten for the first day.  He marched right in and did his jobs, just like he watched Wyatt do all last year.  He was so matter-of-fact, so confident.  He was happy to have Wyatt's same teacher, Mrs. Iles, and we were happy as well, to not learn a new routine, etc.  It was a very smooth transition.
On Friday evening, after the second day of school, as I was putting Drake to bed, he cried because he wanted to go to school on Saturday. So sweet.


Kenna wore her backpack as we walked the boys to their first day...just in case a teacher invites her to stay for the day.  Kenna misses her brothers so much after a summer of being with them everyday.  She literally attacks them after school.  She runs to them bombarding them with hugs.

Drake ~ Off He Goes!

Drake is off to kindergarten tomorrow.  Wow.  Two kids in school...seems unbelievable to me.  Drake was so matter-of-fact as a few of his grandparents called tonight to wish him luck.  He laid out the schedule, rules, what he had chosen for lunch, all very politely and without emotion.  It makes sense he would act this way, because to him, its just the thing to do, no fear, just what he is supposed to do...follow what Wyatt did all last year.  It is completely different than the conversations we had in the days leading up to Wyatt starting kindergarten last year.  Those conversations were about fear, newness, missing each other....

To Drake, this is just what he is supposed to do, no questions asked.  Its going to be a long 7 hours tomorrow; at least for me.  Again this year, I find myself teary, sad, wishing we could go back 30 days and just have a bit more of summer together.  But, summer will come again; and until then, I have a kindergartner to help get adjusted to being in school everyday.  However, more of a challenge for Drake....getting up in the morning.  He's my guy that likes to take his time, sleeping in, stretching, getting dressed slowly, having a leisurely breakfast...I'm sure he'll get used to the routine soon, however, I will take a bit longer to get used to him being at school more hours than he is awake at home.  My little, big guy....marching along to follow his big brother.

Kenna, Kenna, Kenna

That stinker........we were reading a story before bed, and Kenna started to cough.  It was a strange cough, and I immediately stood up and went to her, "Are you okay, Kenna?"  She said, "Mom, I swallowed a penny!"
She was a little distraught, but was talking and breathing fine.  I immediately remembered seeing a dime on the floor five minutes earlier.  Asked her if it was silver, confirming it was a dime, indeed.  Called the pediatrician, and he said to watch her closely for any issues and strain her poop for the next few days to make sure it passes~fun times.

Now, each time she goes potty, she says things like~
Mom, if you hear a "plop" then it came out.
Mom! It didn't come out!
Mom, maybe when its winter and I go outside, and its really, really cold, and I feed the reindeer, it will melt (the dime).

Hopefully, this confusion & obsession with the dime will ensure no future episodes of putting money in her mouth.  All we can do is hope.